Six games into the 2026 NFL season, the Philadelphia Eagles are 2-4, on a four-game losing run, and will finish the campaign without their franchise quarterback.
Jalen Hurts, the MVP of Super Bowl LIX in February 2025, was ruled out for the rest of the season after medical testing confirmed deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli, meaning blood clots in both lungs. The Eagles and Hurts’ agent Nicole Lynn confirmed the diagnosis in a joint statement on 19 October, calling his prognosis “very good” and committing him to a minimum three-month course of anticoagulation that rules out any contact.
According to the joint statement, Hurts is currently stable and has no significant functional limitations.
From a cleated calf to clots in the lungs
The chain of events started in a Week 4 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on 4 October, when Hurts was cleated in the left calf and finished all 61 offensive snaps without reporting the injury.
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He first asked the training staff for treatment four days later. A precautionary ultrasound on 10 October found a superficial clot in the calf, yet the team cleared him for Week 5 against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London the next day.
Hurts was in hospital until 4am on game day on 11 October and still played all 62 offensive snaps as Philadelphia lost 19-17. A follow-up scan the next Wednesday showed the clot had moved, he was ruled out of Week 6 against the Carolina Panthers, and further imaging then revealed the clots in his lungs.
Tanner McKee has the Eagles
Tanner McKee, a sixth-round pick making his first regular-season start, took the offense in Week 6 and lost 25-14 to the Panthers. He finished 26-of-45 for 215 yards and a touchdown and now has the job for the rest of the season, according to 6abc.
Head coach Nick Sirianni told reporters at a press conference covered by 6abc that he was not going to second-guess the medical staff on the blood clot timeline, saying he was “not a medical expert” and had “full trust and full faith” in the team’s doctors. Asked about his new starter, Sirianni said he had “the utmost confidence in Tanner” but added, “I miss him.”
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Cowboys at Lincoln Financial on Monday night
The Eagles host the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football in Week 7, with Dallas also 2-4. McKee’s second straight start comes at Lincoln Financial Field in prime time, with kickoff at 8:15pm local time.
Hurts is on a five-year, $255m contract extension that runs through 2028, with $179.3m guaranteed. The Eagles expect him to resume contact training once he is off the blood thinners.
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