Amid the ongoing controversy regarding the Philadelphia Eagles’ way of handling the Jalen Hurts calf injury, the Eagles star and Hurts’ friend Saquon Barkley has given a candid response to the media.

“There was a lot of information that was put out. Some true, some false- a lot false, to be completely honest,” Barkley said, according to Tim McManus of ESPN. “But the thing that I made of it, it s**** that the first thing, in my opinion, people try to make it was the Eagles versus the Jalen thing.”

Barkley raised a rather interesting take on the whole situation, underlining that a lot of the information hasn’t been accurate. He further said that Hurts is “a heck of a leader” and someone who “deeply cares” about others.

“And, you know, anytime the game is taken away from somebody, that s****,
but especially in this situation where we don’t fully know the magnitude of it,
but sometimes it’s bigger than football,” Barkley continued.

This statement comes after the Eagles were put under scrutiny for not handling the Hurts situation properly, with what was first deemed a “superficial” blood clot in London before the 19-17 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Eagles’ medical staff and doctors at Cleveland Clinic London reviewed the ultrasounds and “concluded that activity and mobility were important and that Jalen could safely play” against the Jaguars.

It later turned out to be deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli, with the blood clot reaching both the lungs of the SB LIX MVP.

Hurts played through the Jaguars game and took an eight-hour transatlantic flight before being reassessed, with these two points being criticized the most. Reports also suggested he didn’t sleep for 36 hours, but it was later clarified by Ian Rapoport of ESPN that after Hurts returned from the hospital at 3 a.m. local time, he was given time to sleep before the team left for the game at 10:30 a.m.

Following the scrutiny, the NFLPA has also released a statement, demanding a “full investigation.”

“The NFLPA is not aware of any NFL investigation into the medical care provided to Jalen Hurts. In fact, the league previously informed the union that it did not plan to review the care he received,” the statement read. “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.”

While the NFLPA asked for an investigation, NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills defended the Eagles, saying that the “notion that there’s external factors that any of our physicians would put a player in harm’s way — that’s nonsense.”

But the most important statement after the NFLPA’s call came from the NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, who said that the investigation is part of “our process” and that they “welcome that if that’s what they do; they have that right.”

“Obviously, there was a medical evaluation, and I think our protocols were incredibly good there,” Goodell said. “The most important thing here is Jalen’s health, ultimately, in the future. He’s a wonderful young man, and 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.”

While Goodell has no problem with the NFLPA executing a full investigation into the matter, NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller has also spoken up, further clarifying that “conservative steps were taken to ensure Jalen Hurts’ health was always made the first priority and continues to be.”

For now, Hurts has been sidelined for at least three months and will likely miss the rest of the season. Meanwhile, Barkley, who has been out for a few weeks due to a hamstring injury, can return in Week 7 against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday, October 26.