Eagles coach Nick Sirianni prefers no further questions on the medical matter that landed Jalen Hurts on injured reserve, leaving the talking to the NFLPA and commissioner Roger Goodell.
One day after Goodell and NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills defended the Eagles and NFL for Hurts gaining medical clearance to play in London despite the discovery of a “superficial” blood clot, Sirianni avoided the topic. Goodell said Wednesday at the league meetings in New York the Eagles and NFL followed all necessary protocol while keeping Hurts’ health as the central focus. Sills was testy over insinuations there were selfish motives in not forcing Hurts to sit as the NFLPA pushed for an investigation to find out exactly what took place before Hurts took the field.
“Guys, I’m not going to go into any of that. Respect your question, and obviously, I understand that everybody has questions about this, and I I care deeply about Jalen, and I want his well-being, first and foremost,” Sirianni said Thursday. “But really I’m here to talk about the Cowboys and our team and this week in practice.”
A report that the Eagles would be fined for clearing Hurts to play Week 5 against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London prompted Goodell to address the issue directly on Wednesday.
NFL Network reported the clotting in Hurts’ calf was likely caused by taking a cleat to the area. But the clot since spread to Hurts’ lungs, and he will likely miss the remainder of the season. Goodell said the Eagles followed typical protocol, but the NFLPA said no investigation or inquiry into the matter has been shared if it was, in fact, completed.
“The NFLPA is not aware of any NFL investigation into the medical care provided to Jalen Hurts. In fact, the league previously informed the union that it did not plan to review the care he received,” the NFLPA said in a statement Wednesday. “Before conclusions are drawn about how this situation was handled, there must be a full investigation into what occurred. Determining the facts is essential to ensuring players receive the highest level of care and protection going forward.”
Sirianni said “we’ll see” when asked if Hurts would be aided by staying around the team while on injured reserve. He wouldn’t confirm Hurts has been at the team facility this week.