Jeffrey Lurie did not speak to reporters before tonight’s game against the Dallas Cowboys, and the timing could not be more awkward. The Philadelphia Eagles owner is going into the team’s Hall of Fame at halftime, while the NFL and the NFL Players Association review how the club handled quarterback Jalen Hurts’ blood clot.
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The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane reported that Lurie “will not be made available to reporters” before the game, which he said is customary for Eagles Hall of Fame inductees. Still, the silence is landing differently this week, as many are seeing it as an abrupt decision to cancel media availability.
“To Eagles fans everywhere, my induction into the Eagles Hall of Fame will always be a moment I look back on with immense pride. To join such a legendary group of individuals who have helped shape this franchise is an incredible honor and one that fills me with gratitude,” Lurie said in his team’s statement.
The statement thanks the coaches, players, front office, and fans, and it mentions the Eagles Autism Foundation, which has helped raise more than $60 million. It never mentioned Hurts or the investigation.
According to the Associated Press, Hurts was struck in the calf by a cleat in the October 4 game against the Los Angeles Rams and told the medical staff about it four days later. The Eagles then flew to London for a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In London, specialists found a superficial blood clot in his left calf. The Eagles said team doctors and London-based doctors agreed he could safely play, and Hurts went 21 of 40 for 220 yards in a 19-17 loss. ESPN sources said he was in a London hospital until about 4 a.m. that day.
Things got worse after the team returned home. A follow-up ultrasound showed the clot had moved, and Hurts was ruled out against the Carolina Panthers. The Eagles and his agent, Nicole Lynn, then announced deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli, meaning clots had reached both lungs.
He is on blood thinners and expected to miss the rest of the season. The team said he is “clinically stable” and expects a full recovery.
Was playing him in London a medical call that went wrong, or a risk nobody should have taken?
The league first defended the process. NFL chief medical officer Allen Sills called the idea that doctors would put a player in harm’s way “nonsense,” and The Athletic reported the NFL would not punish the Eagles. Then the NFLPA pushed back, saying:
“Before conclusions are drawn about how this situation was handled, there must be a full investigation into what occurred.”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said, “We welcome that,” at the owners’ meetings. On Sunday, the NFL and the NFLPA issued a joint statement saying they are “working together to review the matter.”
There is no timetable. Among the open questions are what findings supported clearing him for football, and what precautions were taken on the flight home. Coach Nick Sirianni has deflected them, saying he has “full faith” in the team’s medical experts and has declined to explain why Hurts flew home with the clot. General manager Howie Roseman and the medical staff have not made themselves available.
Meanwhile, the season has slipped away. The Eagles are 2-4 and have lost four straight for the first time since 2020. Backup Tanner McKee threw for 215 yards and a touchdown in the Carolina loss, and Philadelphia entered tonight as a 4.5-point underdog.
Lurie is also the man who gave Hurts a $255 million extension in 2023 and called him a “culture-setter.” Hurts’ contract runs through 2028.
Lurie bought the team in 1994 and is the first owner inducted since founder Bert Bell. Under him, the team has won two Super Bowls, and his statement says the goal has always been “to bring world championships to Philadelphia and celebrate with parades down Broad Street.”
With Hurts sidelined and a probe still open, how many fans will be thinking about parades tonight?