playTim McManusOct 16, 2026, 03:27 PM ETCloseTim McManus covers the Philadelphia Eagles for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2016 after covering the Eagles for Philadelphia Magazine’s Birds 24/7, a site he helped create, since 2010.Multiple AuthorsPHILADELPHIA — Eagles coach Nick Sirianni declined to offer much detail about Jalen Hurts’ health Friday, instead focusing on his connection with the quarterback.”I’m always concerned for our guys. Jalen and I have a special relationship. There’s times I’ve said to Jalen, ‘I know you like I know my brother,'” Sirianni said at a news conference.
“We’ve spent a lot of time together. We’ve been to the highest of highs, we’ve had lows. … Your first reaction is always the care for the player because this is not just a coach-player relationship.”Hurts has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers due to a superficial blood clot in his calf. The Eagles released a lengthy statement Thursday detailing the process that led to the discovery of the blood clot.The quarterback was cleated Week 4 against the Los Angeles Rams and requested treatment on the calf the following Thursday, according to the team.
An ultrasound on Saturday in London revealed the blood clot, though Hurts played in Week 5 against the Jacksonville Jaguars after the Eagles’ medical staff and doctors “reviewed the results and concluded that activity and mobility were important and that Jalen could safely play.”A follow-up ultrasound Wednesday night “revealed movement in the small blood clot,” leading to the decision to sit Hurts against the Panthers.The Eagles have not provided a timeline for his return.”I know there’s a great deal of interest in Jalen’s health, but I’m not going to get too much into any of that,” Sirianni said when asked if a course of treatment has been established for Hurts. “Jalen’s health is the utmost important to all of us in this building, care deeply about Jalen.”Most Eagles players found out about Hurts’ health situation as they took the field for Thursday’s walk-through.”It’s hard when you find out your leader has to sit out for something like that,” wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks said. “It’s real serious. You never know what people are going through because he played the game last week and we didn’t know.
But we just stick by his side and be there for him while he’s going through what he’s going through and just doing what we’ve got to do until he gets back.”Tanner McKee will get the start in Hurts’ absence. Several skill position players expressed confidence in McKee, a 2023 sixth-round pick out of Stanford, as they navigate the loss of their QB1 for an unknown amount of time.”He’s fine,” said wide receiver DeVonta Smith, when asked if he has had a chance to talk with Hurts. “It’s bigger than football. Something like this that’s very serious puts a lot of things into perspective.”
