NFL defends Eagles on Hurts blood clot handling — SkimNews
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- NFL chief medical officer Allen Sills dismissed claims of external pressure on team doctors, calling the idea that physicians would endanger players 'nonsense' during a news conference at the owners meetings
- Jalen Hurts was cleared to play against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London despite a diagnosed superficial calf blood clot, but later found to have bilateral pulmonary emboli and deep vein thrombosis
- The Eagles face no disciplinary action from the NFL, which confirmed coordination with team and Cleveland Clinic London medical staff throughout Hurts’ treatment process
- Jeff Miller, NFL executive vice president of player health and safety, labeled public speculation about Hurts’ clearance as 'considerable and uninformed,' emphasizing conservative, health-first decisions were made
- Allen Sills stated that doctors speculating online without full patient data acted 'unprofessional and unethical,' citing a 'sacred trust' between physicians and patients
- The NFL has tracked blood clot cases annually for over a decade, sharing data with the NFLPA, and pre-plans medical resources for international games, including flight safety protocols
Why it matters: The NFL’s public defense of the Eagles’ medical decisions reinforces league-wide protocols for player health, countering narrative risks to team and league credibility when high-profile players return prematurely from injury—especially ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline, where player health directly impacts roster moves.
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