NFL Outlines Independent Review of Jalen Hurts’ Blood Clots in Letter to U.S. Senator

admin · November 13, 2026 · 7 min read

An illustration of a Philadelphia Eagles quarterback in a midnight green jersey from behind on the field at dusk, with a stadium in the background.

The NFL has told a U.S. senator how it plans to examine the blood clots that ended Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts’ season, saying independent medical experts will review the case and report their conclusions to both the league and the players union.

The response came Friday in a statement from Jeff Miller, the NFL’s executive vice president of communications, public affairs and health policy, released by the office of Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester, Democrat of Delaware. Blunt Rochester had written to Commissioner Roger Goodell in October seeking answers about how Hurts developed the clots and whether the league’s protocols were followed.

“As outlined by the league and NFLPA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, mutually agreed-upon independent medical experts will review the matter and share their conclusions and recommendations with both parties,” Miller said in the statement, according to ESPN’s Tim McManus.

What the review will cover

The joint review by the NFL and the NFL Players Association has not yet begun. The two sides are still working out the details, including selecting the independent experts who will conduct it. Under the labor agreement, the experts must deliver a written report within 60 days of being chosen.

The review will examine the circumstances around Hurts’ diagnosis and the Eagles’ handling of it. The NFLPA has not launched a separate formal investigation into the team’s medical care.

Miller also described the league’s broader system for tracking clotting disorders. For at least the past decade, the NFL has tracked clotting disorders among players every season through a subcommittee of its General Medical Committee, and that information is shared with the NFLPA. After the joint review, the league and the union will consider next steps, including whether the case points to a need for additional league-wide guidance on blood clots.

How Hurts’ season ended

Hurts, 28, was first diagnosed with a superficial blood clot in his calf in London, before the Eagles played the Jacksonville Jaguars on Oct. 11 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. He played in that game and flew back to the United States with the team. Follow-up testing then showed the clot had spread, and doctors diagnosed deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli — blood clots in his leg and in both lungs.

The Eagles placed Hurts on injured reserve on Oct. 17. He is expected to miss the rest of the 2026 season while taking blood-thinning medication, which rules out contact football for now. The team and his agent, Nicole Lynn, have said he is clinically stable and expected to make a full recovery, with no long-term effects anticipated.

The case raised immediate questions because of the sequence of events in London. Blunt Rochester’s letter, dated Oct. 21, asked whether the NFL has a league-wide protocol for detecting, preventing and treating deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, what standards govern a player’s clearance when a clot is suspected, what education players, trainers and coaches receive about the warning signs, and what the league does to reduce clot risk on long flights.

Her fifth question went directly to the Eagles’ handling of the case, asking whether the league would conduct a thorough review “including who cleared Mr. Hurts to play after staying awake overnight, and cleared subsequent air travel on a transatlantic flight back to the U.S. from London?” and requesting a timeline.

Some details of that week remain disputed. Reports said Hurts stayed awake overnight before the London game; the NFL’s Miller pushed back on a report that he had gone more than 30 hours without sleep, according to The Associated Press. The independent review is expected to establish the facts.

Why a senator got involved

The NFLPA called for a full investigation on Oct. 20, and the NFL and the union announced five days later that a review would be conducted. Goodell said at the close of the league’s fall meeting on Oct. 22 that the league welcomed the review, while the NFL’s chief medical officer, Dr. Allen Sills, defended the Eagles’ medical staff.

For Blunt Rochester, the issue is personal as well as legislative. Her late husband, Charles Rochester, died at 52 after blood clots traveled to his heart and lungs following an Achilles tendon tear. She has pushed blood clot legislation throughout her time in Congress, including the Charles Rochester Blood Clot Prevention and Treatment Act, named for him. She sits on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.

What it means for the Eagles

The Eagles have unraveled without their franchise quarterback. Philadelphia enters its bye week at 2-7, last in the NFC East, riding a seven-game losing streak after starting the season 2-0. The team has already begun reshaping the roster, trading defensive tackle Jordan Davis to Jacksonville at the trade deadline, and is down to four team captains after starting the season with seven.

Hurts signed a five-year, $255 million contract extension in April 2023 and led Philadelphia to a 40-22 win over Kansas City in Super Bowl LIX in February 2025, earning game MVP honors. The quarterback carousel around the league has only added to the attention on the position this week, with Kirk Cousins set to start for Minnesota on Sunday, five days after his trade from Las Vegas.

Latest developments

The independent review is the next step, but there is no start date yet. Once the experts are selected, their written report is due within 60 days. The NFL and the NFLPA will then decide whether the findings call for changes to league-wide blood clot guidance — a decision that could affect how every team handles suspected clots, clearance decisions and long-haul travel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is reviewing Jalen Hurts’ blood clot case?

Mutually agreed-upon independent medical experts selected by the NFL and the NFL Players Association will conduct the review under the league’s collective bargaining agreement. Their conclusions and recommendations will be shared with both parties.

When will the review be finished?

The review has not started yet. Once the independent experts are picked, they must submit a written report within 60 days under the labor agreement.

What happened to Jalen Hurts?

Doctors found a superficial blood clot in Hurts’ calf in London before the Eagles’ Oct. 11 game against Jacksonville. Later testing showed deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli. He was placed on injured reserve on Oct. 17 and is expected to miss the rest of the 2026 season while on blood thinners.

Will Hurts play again?

The Eagles and his agent have said he is clinically stable and expected to make a full recovery, with a return to contact football anticipated after his treatment is complete. No return date has been announced.

The review will not answer every question at once, but it will put the most scrutinized medical case of the NFL season in front of outside doctors. For Hurts, for the Eagles and for a league that has tracked clotting disorders for a decade, the findings — and any new guidance that follows — are now the next thing to watch.