Five weeks after Jalen Hurts played a football game in London with a blood clot in his leg, the NFL has finally put in writing what happens next. Independent medical experts — agreed on by the league and the players' union — will review how the Philadelphia Eagles handled their star quarterback's blood clot, and share their findings with both sides. The catch: five weeks on, that review has not actually started yet.

The update came in a letter the NFL sent to U.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware, which her office released on Friday. ESPN's Tim McManus first reported the letter's contents, and NBC Sports confirmed the plan on Saturday afternoon. The letter was the league's answer to the senator, who wrote to Commissioner Roger Goodell in October demanding answers about Hurts' care and the league's blood clot protocols.

“As outlined by the league and NFLPA's Collective Bargaining Agreement, mutually agreed-upon independent medical experts will review the matter and share their conclusions and recommendations with both parties.” — Jeff Miller, NFL executive vice president

The Review Has Not Started Yet

For all the movement on paper, the joint review itself has not formally begun. The league and the NFL Players Association are still working “to hammer out [the] parameters” of the investigation, McManus reported on Friday — five weeks after Hurts last played, and nearly a month after the union first demanded a full investigation.

The NFL Players Association has not invoked its absolute right under Article 39 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement to launch its own investigation into the medical care Hurts received, NBC Sports reported. Some of the agreement's guidelines will still shape the joint review — including the rule that the neutral physicians must issue a written report within 60 days of being selected, and that both sides must act on their recommendations.

The league also told the senator it has tracked clotting disorders among players every season for at least the past decade, through a subcommittee of its General Medical Committee, and shares that information with the union. Once the review is complete, the league and the union will consider next steps — including whether the case points to a need for additional league-wide guidance on blood clots.

Why The Case Drew A Senator's Attention

The questions around Hurts' care have been open since the night before the Eagles' Week 5 game in London. Hurts was hit in the calf during a 24-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on October 4, and doctors in London found a superficial blood clot in his calf on October 10 — the night before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was up until 4 a.m. at a hospital having the clot examined, according to NFL Network reporting, and still played the next day.

He played the full game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, going 21 of 40 for 220 yards and a touchdown, including a 62-yard strike to Darius Cooper. Jacksonville won 19-17 on a 57-yard field goal by Cam Little as time expired. Back in Philadelphia, follow-up testing found something far worse than a surface clot.

The Eagles placed Hurts on injured reserve on October 17, and on October 19 the team and Hurts' agent, Nicole Lynn, confirmed the full diagnosis in a joint statement: a deep vein thrombosis — a clot in a deep vein of the leg — as well as clots in both lungs, known as bilateral pulmonary emboli. The statement said Hurts was clinically stable with no significant functional limitations, but he was on blood thinners and would not be allowed to take part in any contact activity, including football.

The 28-year-old, who led Philadelphia past Kansas City in Super Bowl 59 in February to earn the game's MVP award, is expected to miss the rest of the 2026 season. He had thrown for 933 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions before the injury. Local medical experts have said his blood-thinner treatment will likely last at least three months. Hurts made his first appearance at the Eagles' facility since going on injured reserve on November 4, sitting in on a team meeting — a morale boost for teammates, by ESPN's account, but not a sign he is close to returning to the field.

THE STORY SO FAR

October 4 — Hurts is hit in the calf during the Eagles' 24-20 loss to the Rams in Los Angeles.

October 10 — Doctors in London find a superficial blood clot in Hurts' calf the night before the Week 5 game against Jacksonville. He is examined at a hospital until around 4 a.m.

October 11 — Hurts plays the full game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, throwing for 220 yards and a touchdown. Jacksonville wins 19-17 on a 57-yard field goal as time expires.

October 17 — The Eagles place Hurts on injured reserve after follow-up tests show the clot has moved.

October 19 — The Eagles and Hurts' agent confirm deep vein thrombosis and blood clots in both lungs. Hurts is ruled out for the season.

October 20 — The NFLPA demands a full investigation into the medical care Hurts received. The NFL's chief medical officer, Dr. Allen Sills, defends the Eagles' handling the same day.

October 21 — Commissioner Roger Goodell says the league welcomes a review.

October 25 — The NFL and NFLPA announce an investigation will be conducted.

November 4 — Hurts returns to the Eagles' facility for the first time since going on injured reserve and sits in on a team meeting.

November 13 — The NFL writes to Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester, saying independent medical experts will review the case.

November 14 — The letter's contents become public, and the NFL confirms the plan.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

The next step is choosing the independent medical experts — the part the league and the union are still negotiating. Once they are selected, they have 60 days to deliver a written report, and both sides must act on what it recommends. The findings could change how every NFL team handles blood clot diagnoses in the future, which is the point the senator and the union have been pressing: with games every Thursday, Sunday and Monday, a similar situation could arise at any time.

On the field, Philadelphia moves on without its franchise quarterback. The Eagles have lost seven straight games and sit at 2-7, with Tanner McKee starting, and they host Pittsburgh on November 22. Hurts stays on blood thinners and away from contact football, with a return targeted at the start of the 2027 season.