Jalen Hurts made a rare appearance at the Eagles’ practice facility on Wednesday, giving teammates their first in-person look at the quarterback since he was diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs that will keep him out for the rest of the season.
According to ESPN, Hurts sat in on several team meetings during the visit, which some players described as a boost to morale heading into Sunday’s game against the Giants.
“Of course, I’ve seen him. I have no new update on anything, but of course I’ve talked to him and in constant communication with him and know he’s resting and recovering,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said Wednesday. “I miss him like crazy. But nothing new on that front.”
“I know he’s resting and recovering, and we’re all still praying for him and hoping for a speedy recovery,” Sirianni said.
Hurts, 28, hasn’t played since the Eagles’ 19-17 loss to the Jaguars in London in Week 5. He first suffered an injury in Week 4 that required medical treatment, and an ultrasound ahead of the London game found a blood clot in his left calf. Team and London doctors cleared him to play despite the finding, citing his unusual sleep schedule at the time.
A follow-up ultrasound the next week showed the clot had progressed into a deep vein thrombosis along with bilateral pulmonary emboli — blood clots in both lungs. The Eagles ruled him out for the Week 6 game against the Panthers and placed him on injured reserve. ESPN later reported Hurts would be out at least three months while on blood-thinning medication.
The NFL reviewed how the Eagles handled the situation and found no protocol violations.
A three-month recovery window would put Hurts’ earliest possible return during the playoffs, though that path looks unlikely for a 2-6 Eagles team that has dropped six straight games.
Philadelphia went 0-3 with Tanner McKee at quarterback before turning to Joe Milton III, acquired last month, for Sunday’s home game against the Giants. It will be Milton’s first career start in three seasons.
“I think he’s worked really hard,” Sirianni said of Milton. “He works extremely hard. He’s always in the building doing extra things. I like his progression.”
