NFL star with history of blood clots calls Jalen Hurts situation 'crazy'
NFL star with history of blood clots calls Jalen Hurts situation 'crazy'
Sahil KurupSat, October 24, 2026 at 12:17 AM UTC
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Jalen Hurts is expected to miss the rest of the 2026 season after blood clots were discovered in his lungs -Credit:Getty (Getty)
Kenneth Walker III has a rare view of the Jalen Hurts story — he lived a version of it.
The Kansas City Chiefs running back was asked about Hurts on Friday. When Walker was in high school, he was hospitalized with a pulmonary embolism, blood clots in both lungs, a concerning trend seen in many stars across several sports. Told that Hurts had flown to London and played with a clot, Walker was struck by it.
“He went on the flight, huh? And everything? Yeah, that’s crazy,” Walker said. “Just stay positive. Do all the things necessary that you need to do to get his body back right.”
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Walker’s own history is serious, as his trouble began as chest pain during spring practices, and he later said, “I woke up and I couldn’t breathe for real.”
Doctors told him that a hit to the wrong place could have been fatal had he kept playing, and that he would never play football again. He spent several nights in the hospital and learned to give himself daily injections.
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After months of recovery, he returned. Reflecting on the ordeal, Walker said, “Don’t take anything for granted because it all can get thrown away at any time.”
Hurts’ case has become one of the league’s biggest stories. He was cleated in the left calf in the Eagles’ Oct. 4 loss to the Rams and asked for treatment Oct. 8. The Eagles flew to London the next day.
An ultrasound there on Oct. 10 found a superficial clot, and the team’s doctors and doctors at the Cleveland Clinic London decided he could safely play. He played all 62 snaps against the Jaguars and flew back to Philadelphia.
A follow-up ultrasound on Oct. 14 showed movement in the clot, and the Eagles ruled him out Oct. 15.
Eagles fans were dumbfounded by the decision to allow Jalen Hurts to play despite his terrifying injury situation -Credit:Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images
On Monday, the Eagles and Hurts’ agent, Nicole Lynn, said further testing showed deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli. Hurts is on injured reserve and expected to miss the rest of the season.
His treatment involves blood thinners, and he cannot take part in football activities until he is off them. The team said he is “clinically stable” and that it expects a “full recovery” with “no long-term effects.”
The NFL Players Association called for a “full investigation," but the league says protocols were followed. Chief medical officer Allen Sills said, “I have complete confidence in the Eagles medical staff and their handling of the situation.”
Commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday that the league welcomes a review, adding, “The protocols were followed.” Hurts said of the trip, “It was a very unique experience, to say the least.”
Source: “AOL Sports”
