NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday the league welcomes an investigation into how the Philadelphia Eagles handled quarterback Jalen Hurts’ medical care after he developed blood clots that traveled to his lungs. Goodell made the comments at the NFL’s fall league meeting in New York, a day after the NFL Players Association called for a full review of Hurts’ treatment.
The remarks mark a reversal for the league. According to USA Today, the NFL had previously told the union it did not plan to review the care Hurts received before the Eagles quarterback’s diagnosis worsened.
The Main Development
Hurts, 28, is on injured reserve and expected to miss the rest of the 2026 season. His medical situation became public after an ultrasound in London on Oct. 10 found a superficial blood clot in his leg, according to ESPN. Eagles medical staff and London-based doctors determined at the time that activity and mobility were important for Hurts and cleared him to play against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Further testing and monitoring later upgraded the diagnosis to deep vein thrombosis with bilateral pulmonary embolisms, meaning a clot had moved from his legs into his lungs. Hurts’ agent, Nicole Lynn, and the Eagles released a joint statement Monday disclosing the updated diagnosis. The clot is considered provoked, stemming from a cleat injury to his calf, which carries a more favorable prognosis with treatment.
The NFLPA’s statement Tuesday night pushed the league to act. “The NFLPA is not aware of any NFL investigation into the medical care provided to Jalen Hurts,” the union said. “In fact, the league previously informed the union that it did not plan to review the care he received.
Before conclusions are drawn about how this situation was handled, there must be a full investigation into what occurred. Determining the facts is essential to ensuring players receive the highest level of care and protection going forward.”
What Goodell And The League Have Said
Goodell defended the Eagles’ medical process even as he said the league would not block a formal review. “Obviously, there was a medical evaluation, and I think our protocols were incredibly good there,” Goodell said. “The protocols were followed. Our process is to make sure that’s the case, and our chief medical officer has gone through that, so we’re comfortable that what we’ve seen in the protocols have happened.”
NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills offered what FOX Sports described as a passionate defense of the Eagles’ medical staff on Tuesday. Sills said, “Any idea or any suggestion that a team physician is ever being influenced by a coach, a general manager, a team owner, it just doesn’t happen. The notion that there are external factors or that any of our physicians would put a player in harm’s way, that’s nonsense.”
NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller also pushed back on a report that Hurts had been awake for more than 30 hours before playing the Jaguars. Miller said Hurts returned to his hotel and slept roughly seven to eight hours. That account lines up with details reported by NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, who said Hurts went to a London hospital late at night, got back to the hotel around 3 a.m. local time, slept until the team departed for the stadium at 10:30 a.m., then napped again before pregame warmups.
How The Investigation Will Work
Under the collective bargaining agreement, any review of Hurts’ medical care would run through the joint Accountability and Care Committee shared by the NFL and NFLPA, according to NBC Sports. Article 39, Section 5(f) of the CBA gives both the league and the union independent authority to open an investigation into health, safety or medical care provided by club-affiliated personnel.
Once an investigation begins, the committee has 60 days to select two or more neutral physicians or subject-matter experts. Those experts would investigate the matter and issue a written report with recommendations for addressing any issues identified.
What The Eagles Have Said
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said Monday he has full faith in the team’s medical staff but did not detail why Hurts was cleared to play against Jacksonville. “The most important thing here is Jalen’s health, ultimately, and the future of him,” Sirianni said. “He’s a wonderful young man: not just a great player, but he’s someone we all care deeply about. I’m more worried about his health, ultimately, but the protocols were followed.”
Goodell echoed that sentiment when discussing player safety broadly, saying “the health of our players is always at the forefront of our mind.”
What’s Next
No formal investigation has been opened as of Wednesday’s league meeting comments. Any review would need to begin through the Accountability and Care Committee process outlined in the CBA, with the 60-day clock for naming neutral experts starting once that process is triggered. Hurts remains on injured reserve for the rest of the 2026 season.
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