Eagles Under Fire: NFL Commissioner Green-Lights Probe Into Jalen Hurts’ Blood Clot Handling

**Eagles Under Fire: NFL Commissioner Green-Lights Probe Into Jalen Hurts’ Blood Clot Handling**

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday that the league welcomes a full investigation into the Philadelphia Eagles’ handling of quarterback Jalen Hurts’ blood clots after the NFL Players Association formally requested one. Speaking at the end of the league’s fall owners meetings in New York, Goodell told reporters the review is “part of our processes” and that the union has every right to pursue it. He noted that the league’s chief medical officer has already examined the protocols that were followed.

Hurts was diagnosed with a superficial blood clot in his left calf on October 10, the day before the Eagles played the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. Despite the finding, team doctors cleared him to play the full game. He then boarded a long transatlantic flight home. Follow-up testing later revealed the clot had progressed into deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli—blood clots in both lungs—forcing the 2025 Super Bowl MVP onto injured reserve for the remainder of the 2026 season while he undergoes treatment with blood thinners.

The more serious diagnosis, announced Monday by the Eagles and Hurts’ agent, immediately raised questions about whether the quarterback should have been allowed to play or travel. On Tuesday night the NFLPA released a statement saying it was unaware of any league investigation into Hurts’ medical care and that the NFL had previously indicated it did not plan to review the matter. The union insisted a full investigation is essential before conclusions are drawn and to protect player health going forward.

Goodell pushed back against suggestions that protocols had been ignored. “I think our protocols were incredibly good there,” he said, emphasizing that medical evaluations took place and that the league’s chief medical officer, Dr. Allen Sills, had reviewed the steps taken. Sills had publicly defended the Eagles’ medical staff a day earlier, expressing strong confidence in their handling of the case. League executives also indicated the team would not face punishment.

While opening the door to the union’s requested probe, Goodell repeatedly stressed that Hurts’ long-term health is the top priority. He downplayed the role of international travel itself and highlighted the quality of the medical advisers working on players’ behalf. The commissioner made clear the league remains comfortable with the processes followed based on the information available at the time.

The episode has placed the Eagles under intense scrutiny at a pivotal point in the season. As the investigation process advances under the collective bargaining agreement, the league, the players’ union, and the team will face continued questions about medical decision-making when star players confront potentially serious conditions. For now, attention centers on Hurts’ recovery and ensuring greater transparency in similar situations in the future.