Eagles Place Jalen Hurts on IR with Blood Clot; Tanner McKee to Start

The Philadelphia Eagles placed Jalen Hurts on injured reserve Saturday after a superficial blood clot in his calf moved, necessitating an indefinite recovery period.

The Philadelphia Eagles officially placed Jalen Hurts on injured reserve Saturday afternoon, sidelining the three-time Pro Bowl quarterback indefinitely. According to sources cited by ESPN and NFL Network, the move followed consultations with medical experts regarding a superficial blood clot in Hurts' calf that recently moved. The designation ensures Hurts will miss upcoming contests against the Carolina Panthers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders, and New York Giants prior to Philadelphia's Week 10 bye.

Backup Tanner McKee is scheduled to start Sunday’s home game against the Panthers, with rookie Cole Payton serving as the primary backup. To further bolster the depth chart, the organization signed quarterback Joe Milton off the Dallas practice squad, a transaction that requires Milton to remain on the active roster for three weeks. Medical experts noted that if anticoagulants are required to treat the clot, the minimum recovery timeframe is typically six weeks, as players cannot participate while on blood thinners.

The roster move comes as Philadelphia ranks 31st in the NFL in total yards per game (262.2) and 29th in scoring at 18.4 points per game. The offense has struggled with efficiency, going three-and-out on a league-high 38% of possessions this season. Additionally, the unit has been outgained by 115 yards per game in the second half, the worst mark in the NFL. The team enters Sunday having failed to score 25 points in seven consecutive regular-season games, the longest such drought under head coach Nick Sirianni.