Jalen Hurts Has Deep Vein Thrombosis and Blood Clots in His Lungs. Here’s What to Know

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts looks on during the game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Philadelphia Eagles on October 4, 2026 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. —Icon Sportswire—Getty Images Jalen Hurts is expected to miss the rest of the NFL season after doctors diagnosed blood clots in both lungs, ESPN and NFL Network reported .

The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback has deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and bilateral pulmonary emboli, according to an Oct.

19 statement from the team .

He is clinically stable and has no significant functional limitations, they said, but needs blood thinners—and can’t participate in contact activities, including football, while taking them.

“Jalen’s prognosis is very good, and we expect a full recovery,” the statement said.

The news raises questions beyond football: How do you recognize a blood clot? What does treatment involve? And why can some people stop blood thinners after a few months while others take them for life? We asked doctors who aren’t involved in Hurts’ care what everyone should know.

How to recognize a possible blood clot Deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, occurs when a clot forms in a vein deep inside the body, often in the leg.

Those veins carry blood back toward the heart.

They’re different from superficial blood clots—— Hurts’ original diagnosis —which form closer to the skin, explains Dr.

Geoffrey Barnes, a cardiologist and vascular medicine specialist at University of Michigan Health.

The distinction matters because deep-vein clots are more likely to break loose and travel through the heart into the lungs.

Once a clot lodges in an artery there, it causes a pulmonary embolism.

DVT often causes pain, swelling, and redness or a darker skin color.

Patients commonly tell Barnes, “My entire calf and ankle are swollen.” One leg might look noticeably different from the other.