Jalen Hurts reportedly told not to sleep before playing game with blood clot

Jalen Hurts reportedly informed not to sleep before playing game with blood clot.

Key points

• The veteran quarterback finished the game 21-of-40 (52.5%) passing for 220 yards and a touchdown.
• For approximately 36 hours before the Philadelphia Eagles took on the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jalen Hurts was advised not sleep.
• Despite the concern over his clot, Hurts traveled with the team to London and was not on the Eagles' Week 5 injury report until Friday.
• Hurts was a full go for the Week 5 clash with the Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
• USA TODAY Sports' Chris Bumbaca breaks down Jalen Hurts' season-ending absence due to blood clots and what it means for the Eagles moving forward.

Jalen Hurts reportedly informed not to sleep before playing game with blood clot. Jack McKessy USA TODAY. Jalen Hurts' season could end after serious blood clot diagnosis.

USA TODAY Sports' Chris Bumbaca breaks down Jalen Hurts' season-ending absence due to blood clots and what it means for the Eagles moving forward. Note: This story has been updated with new information.

According to multiple reports, doctors treating Hurts for his blood clot matter advised the Eagles' quarterback not to sleep in the lead-up to the game.

"After initially being diagnosed with a superficial blood clot in London, doctors told him not to sleep as a precaution, " Netflix and The Ringer's Tom Pelissero wrote on social media, "so he had been awake for roughly 36 hours when he started against the Jaguars."

NFL Media insider Ian Rapoport shared a similar report on Hurts' lack of sleep before Week 5. He wrote on social media that Hurts was in the hospital until 4 a.m. On the day of the game and still didn't sleep before kickoff. "Sleep was a risk, " Rapoport documented. "He played without having slept." Jalen Hurts' agent disputes sleep story.

Hurts' agent, Nicole Lynn, afterwards reached out to Pelissaro and disputed some of the earlier report.

Meanwhile, the Eagles' quarterback "was able to sleep upon rejoining the team" since the Eagles "set aside a room for him at the stadium, " according to Lynn via Pelissero. Neither clarified if Hurts had gone against doctors' recommendations by sleeping.

JALEN HURTS: Eagles QB has blood clots in his lungs, projected to miss season, per report.

Despite the concern over his clot, Hurts traveled with the team to London and was not on the Eagles' Week 5 injury report until Friday. Even then, he was listed as a full participant with a calf ailment with no injury designation for the game on Sunday, Oct. 11.

Hurts was a full go for the Week 5 clash with the Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. He played every offensive snap for the Eagles during the game.

In practice, the veteran quarterback finished the game 21-of-40 (52.5%) passing for 220 yards and a touchdown. He additionally fumbled twice – though both times the Eagles recovered the ball. Philadelphia lost the game, 19-17, on a game-ending, 57-yard field goal. Jalen Hurts' latest diagnosis shines new light on Week 5 loss.

On Monday, Oct. 19, Hurts' agent, Nicole Lynn, wrote in a joint statement with the Eagles that the quarterback had undergone further imaging over the weekend. Doctors diagnosed Hurts with deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli – blood clots in both lungs.

For context, the Eagles' veteran is taking blood thinners to treat his blood clots, Lynn wrote. It means he cannot participate in contact activities like football. Hurts could miss the remainder of the regular season as he treats his blood clots.

Backup quarterback Tanner McKee will fill in for Hurts in the meantime. The Eagles lost McKee's first start of 2026 – to the Carolina Panthers – in Week 6. Share your feedback to support improve our site!

In short, jalen Hurts reportedly told not to sleep before playing game with blood is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.