NFL Won't Punish Eagles Over Jalen Hurts Handling

Eagles fans wanted answers on Jalen Hurts, and the league just gave its verdict. The NFL will not punish Philadelphia for the medical process that cleared Hurts to play in London with a superficial blood clot, or for leaving him without an injury designation before that game.

The Athletic's Jonathan Jones reported the decision Tuesday, citing a league source who said the process "was handled appropriately." The source added that the NFL, the Eagles and the team's medical staff communicated regularly throughout, per Pro Football Rumors and CBS Sports.

Why the NFL cleared the Eagles on Jalen Hurts

The injury report question came down to timing. Hurts was already on the Eagles' injury report with a calf injury on Oct. 9, the day before the superficial clot was found during a visit to the Cleveland Clinic in London. Philadelphia did not change his status after that because it determined the clot would not affect his snap count.

It did not. Hurts played all 62 offensive snaps in the 19-17 loss to Jacksonville at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, so the league found no injury report violation.

The 36-hour story was wrong

Jones also cleared up the wildest detail from Monday. A report said Hurts had stayed awake for 36 straight hours before kickoff, and Tom Pelissero later walked that back after Hurts' agent clarified it, per CBS Sports.

According to The Athletic, Eagles players and staff were advised before the trip to try to stay awake to remain on Eastern time. Hurts was never told to stay awake because of his medical condition. He spent a big part of the night before the game being evaluated at the hospital, got back to the team hotel early Sunday morning, slept there, and took a nap at the stadium before kickoff.

None of that settles the bigger question fans keep asking: why he was cleared to play and then fly home with a clot at all. Coach Nick Sirianni was pressed on it Monday.

"The health of our players is always at the forefront of our minds, and we leave that up to the medical experts, but we always, always care deeply about our players," Sirianni said, via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. On the flight home, he added: "Again, I'm not a medical expert."

Where Hurts and the Eagles go from here

The diagnosis got much worse after the trip. A follow-up visit in Philadelphia on Oct. 14 showed the clot had moved, the Eagles put him on injured reserve Saturday, and on Monday the team and agent Nicole Lynn announced deep vein thrombosis plus blood clots in both lungs. He is expected to miss the rest of the season.

The statement did offer some real relief. "Jalen's prognosis is very good, and we expect a full recovery," it said, adding that his treatment should only involve blood thinners and that he is not expected to have long-term effects.

The football side is rough. The Eagles are 2-4 and have lost four straight, and Tanner McKee makes his second straight start when Dallas visits Lincoln Financial Field next Monday night. A home win over the Cowboys would at least change the subject for a week.