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Major Takeaways
Jalen Hurts is out for Sunday against the Carolina Panthers with a blood clot in his calf.
A follow up scan on Wednesday night showed movement in the clot, and the team shut him down.
Backup Tanner McKee makes his third career start as the Eagles try to end a three game losing skid.
There is no timetable for the return of Hurts, and his health comes before any game.
The Philadelphia Eagles will take the field on Sunday without the face of their franchise.
The team announced Thursday that Jalen Hurts will miss the home game against the Carolina Panthers.
The reason is a superficial blood clot in his calf, and a follow up scan showed the clot had moved.
How the Eagles Found the Clot
The story starts back on October 4, when Hurts was cleated during the game against the Los Angeles Rams.
He told the medical staff about his calf on October 8 and landed on the practice report the next day.
Out of caution, the team ordered an ultrasound after the flight to London for the game against Jacksonville.
That first scan revealed a superficial blood clot in his calf.
Doctors in London reviewed the results and concluded that Hurts could safely play.
He played the full game on Sunday and completed 21 of 40 passes for 220 yards and a touchdown.
The Eagles lost that game 19 to 17, and Hurts rode a stationary bike between series to keep the calf loose.
The plan all along called for another scan within 72 hours of the game and the flight home.
On Wednesday night, that follow up ultrasound revealed movement in the small blood clot.
The team made the call the next day. Hurts is out while doctors determine the right course of treatment.
In its statement, the team said his health and safety are the highest priority.
The team also said it stayed in contact with the league office through the entire process.
Health Comes Before Football
A blood clot is not a sprain you tape up and play through on Sunday.
Movement in a clot is the detail that changed everything for the Eagles medical staff.
There is no timetable for his return, and nobody around the team is pretending there should be one.
Hurts is 28 years old and in the prime of a career that already includes a Super Bowl MVP award.
He won that honor after leading Philadelphia past Kansas City at the end of the 2024 season.
For Black fans who have watched him carry this franchise, the message is simple.
Protect the man first. The season will be there when the doctors say it is safe.
Through five games this season, Hurts has thrown for 933 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions.
Tanner McKee Gets His Shot
The next man up is Tanner McKee, and he is not blinking at the moment.
“At any moment, you have to be ready to play on a Sunday,” McKee told reporters this week.
The 26 year old played at Stanford and came to Philadelphia as a sixth round pick in the 2023 draft.
Sunday will be his third career start, and his first in a game that truly carries weight.
His first two starts came in regular season finales, with the playoff picture already settled.
In six career appearances, McKee has thrown for 597 yards with five touchdowns and one interception.
He began this season third on the depth chart and moved up when the team released veteran Andy Dalton last week.
This week he finally got a full week of starter reps in practice to prepare for Carolina.
He spent that week in the film room with offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, talking through how to attack the Panthers defense.
What Sunday Now Looks Like
The Eagles sit at 2 and 3 and have lost three straight games.
Kickoff against the Panthers is set for 1 PM Eastern at Lincoln Financial Field.
Without Hurts, the offense loses the running threat that defenses must respect on every snap.
Expect a heavier lean on the ground game and quicker throws to keep McKee in rhythm.
Carolina walks into a loud building against a proud defense and a backup with something to prove.
And all of Philadelphia will be watching the door for number 1 to walk back through it.
For more football coverage, read how the Broncos defense carried Denver past Seattle in overtime and how Grambling stunned Jackson State in HBCU action.
