Updated October 16, 2026, 3:16 p.m. ET
In the NFL, as in life, timing is everything. And according to a former Pro Bowl player, the timing of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts’ recently revealed blood clot seems a little too convenient.
On Thursday, October 15, the Eagles ruled Hurts out of Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers, providing a detailed timeline of the “superficial blood clot” that apparently formed when he was hit in the calf during Philly’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams on October 4. in the little blood clot”, which led the Eagles to arrest Hurts. No timetable was provided for his return.
But in the judgment of former Pro Bowl guard Michael Robinson, who is now an NFL Network analyst, there appears to be more to the story given Hurts’ departure from a 30th-ranked offense in the midst of a three-game losing streak that has seen several key Eagles leave the lineup, whether due to injuries or the sudden retirement of Pro Bowl right tackle Lane Johnson for mental health reasons. All of this happened in the midst of a difficult season in which Hurts, the Super Bowl 59 MVP, did not perform well during a transition to the offensive principles embraced by new coordinator Sean Mannion and against the backdrop of outside speculation that Hurts’ time in the City of Brotherly Love might be coming to an end.
“They have incentive to go into the draft and maybe look for a quarterback,” Robinson said Thursday night on “NFL Gameday Kickoff,” noting that recent trades provided Philadelphia with three first-round picks and three second-round selections in the 2027 and ’28 drafts.
Hurts’ five-year, $255 million extension runs through the 2028 season, but his guarantees expire after the 2027 campaign.
“It seemed like they were trying to pin the outcome of this season on Jalen Hurts just so they could have an excuse later to move on from Jalen Hurts,” Robinson continued, admitting he was speculating on the situation and reminding his audience that he’s not a medical expert — while questioning the seriousness of a superficial blood clot.
“And, again, I’m not saying I don’t know anything, guys. But if I’m just playing devil’s advocate here, and I think this way, if I’m Jalen Hurts — or anyone in Jalen Hurts’ camp — I say, ‘Well, if everyone else is hurt, I’m hurt too.’
“To me, it seemed like Jalen was pulling himself out of the fray so that this lost season…he was stepping away so it wouldn’t seem like it was my fault.”
It’s worth noting that Hurts arrived via a second-round pick in 2020, when Carson Wentz was still considered the Eagles’ franchise quarterback. But Hurts started the final four games of his rookie year, when the Eagles finished 4-11-1, and Wentz was traded to the Indianapolis Colts the following March.
It’s also worth noting that Eagles players don’t seem to openly suspect anything fishy about Hurts’ injury or their current situation.
“That shows you what kind of leader he is,” left tackle Jordan Mailata said via WPVI, Philadelphia’s local ABC affiliate, when asked about Hurts’ go-ahead drive against the Jags before clinching the victory on a game-ending 57-yard field goal after a strategic blunder by the Eagles on the ensuing kickoff.
“He persevered to play this game for us. … One of his main qualities is being calm and controlling everything at all times.
“Now that we’ve found out a few things, we know a little more about the situation and that tells you what kind of person he is.”
Even Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott weighed in on Hurts’ injury.
“It’s scary when you have things like this,” Prescott said, referring to the Eagles’ recent transatlantic trip. “Blood clots, you’re talking about someone’s life, especially with the plane ride and everything they took with them.
“Yeah, it’s scary.”
As for the problems surrounding Hurts, they have been multiple. Johnson abruptly retired on October 6. A day later, the Eagles traded former Pro Bowl center Cam Jurgens to the Baltimore Ravens. Left guard Landon Dickerson is on injured reserve with a bone bruise in his knee and has missed all but one game.
And it’s not just about the offensive line.
Philadelphia listed 24 players, essentially half the roster, on Thursday’s injury report. Star running back Saquon Barkley and wide receiver DeVonta Smith are both dealing with hamstring injuries and did not play in London. Smith managed to practice in a limited capacity on Thursday.
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