Commentary: If Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts can get dangerous blood clots, so can you

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Jalen Hurts is 28, a Super Bowl MVP and an elite athlete in peak physical condition. He was also recently diagnosed with blood clots in his leg and both lungs.

After a cleat to the left calf during a game against the Los Angeles Rams on Oct. 4, 2026, and after a team flight to London, the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback was given an ultrasound and diagnosed with a superficial vein thrombosis, which is a blood clot in the vein near the skin, in his left leg.

He played that Sunday. A follow-up ultrasound showed the superficial vein clot had progressed to a deeper vein, and he was diagnosed with a deep vein thrombosis, or DVT.

By Oct. 19, he was diagnosed with a bilateral pulmonary embolism, which means he had blood clots in both lungs. He started treatment with blood thinners, and his prognosis was described as “very good,” according to a statement from the team and his agent, but he will likely be out for the rest of the season.

For me, as a pulmonary vascular disease specialist who treats patients with blood clots and pulmonary embolisms, this case highlights an important teaching moment. If this can happen to an elite athlete, it can happen to anyone. And too often, it can be prevented.

3 major risk factors

Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism are grouped under one name: venous thromboembolism.

When a deep vein thrombosis develops, the clot can break off and a piece of it can travel through the body and lodge in the arteries in the lungs, where it obstructs blood flow and lowers oxygen in the blood, causing shortness of breath and strain on the heart. This is known as pulmonary embolism. If the blood clot in the lungs is large enough, it can sometimes kill within hours.

Clots that happen near the skin, like the one first found in Hurts’ leg, are often treated as minor but are not always harmless. It is estimated that a quarter of people diagnosed with superficial clots can also have deep vein thrombosis, so health providers order follow-up imaging.

In the United States, up to 900,000 people are affected by venous thromboembolism each year. An estimated 60,000 to 100,000 die from it annually. Survivors often have long-term symptoms such as persistent leg swelling, shortness of breath, chronic clots, or elevated blood pressure in the arteries in the lungs, which is known as chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

The three main factors that drive formation of blood clots are injury to the vein wall, slow or stagnant blood flow in that injured region, and blood that clots easily due to inflammation or other factors. This is called Virchow’s triad, and Hurts’ story touches every corner of this triad.

The injury to the left calf bruised the muscle and likely the vein beneath it. Later, prolonged sitting on an overnight flight from Philadelphia to London and a return flight after the game resulted in stagnant blood flow to the injured leg. Inflammation from the injury along with dehydration from the game and jet lag all may have contributed to increased blood clotting.

Florida’s first-in-the-nation law

Beyond Hurts’ case, the most common risk factors to developing venous thromboembolism include hospitalization and surgery, especially orthopedic surgery and abdominal operations.

More than a third of cases occur following a hospital admission or just after discharge. Fractures and blunt trauma to the legs, prolonged immobility or bed rest, having a leg in a cast, or sitting for hours in a plane or car all predispose to blood clot formation in the legs. The use of estrogen in birth control pills or hormone therapy, cancer, pregnancy and inherited clotting disorders also predispose an otherwise healthy person to develop blood clots.

It is estimated that up to 70% of hospital-associated clots can be avoided with prophylactic blood thinners or inflatable leg devices called sequential compression devices to prevent deep vein thrombosis. However, fewer than half of hospital patients receive such measures, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For people taking long trips in a car or plane, it is recommended to take frequent movement breaks, stay hydrated and even use compression socks. New symptoms of calf swelling, tenderness or redness should raise concerns for possible deep vein thrombosis.

Hurts had elite doctors and close monitoring, so his clots were caught and treated quickly. Most individuals do not have the same protections.

In 2025, Florida was the first state in the country to pass a law to help identify and treat those at risk of blood clots. It’s called the Emily Adkins Family Protection Act. Adkins tragically passed away in 2022 at age 23 from a fatal pulmonary embolism that occurred after a clot from her leg traveled to her lungs. Her family helped pass the bill that set up the nation’s first state blood clot and pulmonary embolism work group, which put forward the recommendations that later turned into law.

Florida’s law requires hospitals to have protocols to assess and treat patients at risk of blood clots and train hospital staff to recognize the symptoms of venous thromboembolism. It also will involve the creation of a statewide venous thromboembolism registry, the first of its kind in the country, where hospitals will report data on blood clots.

Florida is no longer alone. In 2026, the Blake Burgess Blood Clot Prevention Act was passed in Oklahoma; Mississippi proposed similar legislation. Advocates such as the National Blood Clot Alliance are urging other states to follow.

Hurts will most likely recover over the next few months. The outcome for many other individuals will depend on whether someone asks the right questions, recognizes the warning signs and acts in time. Venous thromboembolism is one of the few major killers where risk assessment, prevention, early diagnosis and fast treatment can play a critical role in changing the outcome.

Ali Ataya is a professor of Medicine, at the University of Florida.