The NFL has concluded that the process of clearing Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts to play in Week 5 with a superficial blood clot “was handled appropriately,” a league source told The Athletic.

The source, speaking to The Athletic on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, said the NFL will not punish the Eagles for their handling of the medical process or for Hurts not being given an injury designation before the game.

After further testing, within three days of returning to the U.S., the superficial blood clot had moved. Hurts has since been diagnosed with blood clots in both lungs and has been ruled out for the remainder of the NFL season. Hurts is clinically stable, but he can’t play football while on blood thinners, which his treatment requires.

There have been many questions around the Eagles’ handling of Hurts. The NFL has been in regular communication with the team and its medical staff, the league source said.

Hurts, the Super Bowl LIX MVP, initially sought treatment for his left calf on Thursday, Oct. 8. According to a joint statement from the team and Hurts’ agent, Nicole Lynn, Hurts told the medical staff he was cleated during the Week 4 game against the Los Angeles Rams. He had further treatment the following day and was cleared to travel.

Eagles players and personnel were advised ahead of the trip to London to try to stay awake to remain on Eastern time. The source said Hurts was not told to stay awake specifically because of his medical condition.

Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical doctor, arranged with Mark Gillett, the Premier League’s chief medical officer, to have Hurts seen at the Cleveland Clinic in London on Saturday night after a team walk-through. That is when the superficial blood clot in Hurts’ calf was first discovered, and the source said the team, staff, doctors and Hurts determined he could play the following day against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Dr. Sills defends how Eagles handled Jalen Hurts’ injury, flight home

Mike Jones

Hurts returned to the team hotel around 2:45 a.m. local time Sunday and slept until about 10 a.m. He took the bus to the stadium, then took a nap at the stadium before playing all 62 offensive snaps in the 19-17 loss.

The Eagles returned home around 2 a.m. Monday, and Hurts continued to receive treatment for the next two days. On Wednesday, he had a follow-up appointment, and tests revealed the superficial blood clot had moved. Further testing revealed deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli.

“Jalen’s prognosis is very good, and we expect a full recovery,” the team and Lynn said in a statement Tuesday. “We anticipate that he will have the opportunity to resume contact football activities when off the blood thinners. In the meantime, he will remain active around the team and continue to condition. More importantly, we anticipate that he will have no long-term effects.”

The NFL has determined the Eagles did not violate the league’s injury report policy either, the source said. The Eagles placed Hurts on the injury report the Friday before the game, but he was not issued an injury designation then or after the superficial blood clot was found. Per the source, because the team determined Hurts would play his normal number of snaps as the starter, a change to the report was not necessary. The team was in communication with the league on the injury report ahead of the game, the source said.

“The health of our players is always at the forefront of our minds, and we leave that up to the medical experts, but we always, always care deeply about our players,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said Monday regarding Hurts playing in the game. “When you are completely focused on togetherness and connection, you’re always thinking about the well-being of your guys, and that’s where we were in that situation.”

At 2-4, the Eagles will continue to start Tanner McKee at quarterback in place of Hurts. Philadelphia plays host to the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night.