The Philadelphia Eagles are not planning on placing Jalen Hurts on Injured Reserve. Not yet.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport, he remains sidelined indefinitely because of a superficial blood clot revealed by the ultrasound.
Eagles Not Placing Jalen Hurts on IR Before Panthers Game
The issue originally stemmed from a cleat hit against the Rams in Week 4, and after playing through it in London, the latest scan forced medical staff to pull him from game action while evaluating treatment options.
Despite the alarming diagnosis, the Eagles have not even discussed the possibility of placing Hurts on Injured Reserve. Slapping him on IR would mandate a four-week absence. By keeping him on the active roster, Howie Roseman and the front office are signaling this as a week-to-week situation rather than a long-term shutdown, keeping the door open for a quick return while Tanner McKee steps under center against the Carolina Panthers.
The chances of him playing vs. the Panthers are virtually zero, but Philly is still waiting on more information and additional medical opinions.
Philly Waiting for More Information
“They believe the blood clot is treatable, with Hurts trying to determine the best course, sources said,” Rapoport and Schefter said. “The ultimate decision about when Hurts returns to play will come from his medical team, and the Eagles are ready to follow his lead. There is still a chance Hurts eventually ends up on injured reserve, if that is the direction the medical information leads them.
“In most cases, blood clots are treated with anticoagulants, otherwise known as blood thinners. A player cannot play while on blood thinners. In general, the minimum timeframe for a moderate dose of anticoagulants is six weeks, sources said. There is a possibility, if the clot is minor enough, that doctors begin with anti-inflammatories only while continuing to monitor. If the clot were to move, as the team said happened in Hurts’ case, blood thinners are often the answer. If the clot were to worsen, blood thinners for roughly three months would be the next course of action.”
Eagles’ priority is clearly Hurts and his health before they even consider sending him out to play. The estimated recovery time floated is about three weeks to several months.
Until then, backup Tanner McKee will start for the Eagles at quarterback, and rookie fifth-round pick Cole Payton will be the backup, and Milton will be the third-stringer for this week.
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