NFL and Players Union Announce Joint Review of Jalen Hurts' Care; Formal Investigation Still Being Set Up

After the NFL Players Association called for a full investigation earlier this week, the league has gone from telling the union it planned no review to announcing one jointly. The NFL and NFLPA issued a statement Sunday morning, Oct. 25: "The NFL and NFL Players Association are working together to review the matter."

That is the extent of what the two sides have said publicly.

The review has been announced, not formally opened

A source told Front Office Sports that the league and union are still discussing the process and details, and that the investigation has not formally launched. NFL Network's Mike Garafolo said the sides have started communicating "to figure out the logistics of how this is going to happen," and called it "a big endeavor."

The joint wording also suggests the NFLPA has not yet used its own right to start an investigation under Article 39, Section 5(f) of the collective bargaining agreement, according to an NBC Sports analysis of the statement.

The CBA gives any player, club, the league or the union the right to start an investigation before the joint Accountability and Care Committee into "the health, safety or medical care provided by Club-affiliated personnel." Within 60 days of the start, two or more neutral physicians or other experts must be selected. They then have 60 days to deliver a written report. The parties are bound to act on their recommendations.

That is up to 120 days.

What the union and the league said earlier this week

The NFLPA's Tuesday statement said it was "not aware of any NFL investigation into the medical care provided to Jalen Hurts." It added that "the league previously informed the union that it did not plan to review the care he received."

The union said "there must be a full investigation into what occurred" before conclusions are drawn.

The league's position is that nothing went wrong. NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills called the notion that any physician would put a player in harm's way "nonsense." He described the Eagles' handling as "very conservative, very patient-focused and appropriately guarded in every step."

An NFL spokesperson said the Eagles are not being disciplined. The league said it had been in contact with Eagles medical personnel and the Cleveland Clinic in London throughout Hurts' treatment.

Commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday that "our protocols were incredibly good there" and that "the protocols were followed." Asked about an investigation, he said: "That's part of our processes, that's fine." He also said he was unaware of the London travel being a factor, calling that a matter for medical professionals.

The timeline the review will examine

The Eagles have said Hurts took a cleat to the calf on Oct. 4 against the Rams. He told the medical staff on Oct. 8 after practice. An Oct. 10 ultrasound showed a superficial blood clot, and the team's medical staff and London-based doctors concluded he could safely play.

Hurts played the entire 19-17 loss to Jacksonville on Oct. 11, going 21-for-40 for 220 yards and a touchdown. A follow-up ultrasound after he returned to Philadelphia showed the clot had moved. The Eagles and his agent, Nicole Lynn, then disclosed deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli. He is on blood thinners and cannot take part in football activities until he is off them.

In a joint statement, the team and Lynn said Hurts is "clinically stable," his prognosis is "very good," and they expect a full recovery with "no long-term effects."

The skeptics

Not everyone is satisfied with the arrangement. The NBC Sports analysis argued that the NFLPA "risks the perception of complicity" with a league effort "to brush the situation under the rug." It pointed to the quick endorsement of the Eagles' care and Sills' dismissal of scrutiny.

The same analysis listed the open questions: how promptly the leg clot was diagnosed, and the decisions to let Hurts fly to London, play, and fly home with it. No investigator has answered those yet. The Eagles and the league maintain the care was appropriate.

What is riding on it

Hurts is 28 and signed a five-year, $255 million extension in 2023 that runs through 2028. Per Spotrac, $22 million of his 2027 income became fully guaranteed. Some analysts have described the deal as close to year-to-year for Philadelphia from here.

On the field, Tanner McKee started in the 25-14 loss to Carolina, and the Eagles carry a four-game losing streak into Monday night's game against Dallas. Running back Saquon Barkley is listed as questionable with a hamstring injury.

The open questions are procedural. The league and union have not said when the investigation will formally start, who the neutral physicians will be, or whether their findings will be made public.

Under the CBA's own clock, the process can take up to 120 days.