For approximately 36 hours before the Philadelphia Eagles took on the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jalen Hurts did not sleep.
According to multiple reports, doctors treating Hurts for his blood clot issue advised the Eagles' quarterback not to sleep in the lead-up to the game.
"After initially being diagnosed with a superficial blood clot in London, doctors told him not to sleep as a precaution," Netflix and The Ringer's Tom Pelissero wrote on social media, "so he had been awake for roughly 36 hours when he started against the Jaguars."
NFL Media insider Ian Rapoport shared a similar report on Hurts' lack of sleep before Week 5. He wrote on social media that Hurts was in the hospital until 4 a.m. on the day of the game and still didn't sleep before kickoff.
"Sleep was a risk," Rapoport reported. "He played without having slept."
Despite the concern over his clot, Hurts traveled with the team to London and was not on the Eagles' Week 5 injury report until Friday. Even then, he was listed as a full participant with a calf ailment with no injury designation for the game on Sunday, Oct. 11.
Hurts was a full go for the Week 5 clash with the Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. He played every offensive snap for the Eagles during the game.
The veteran quarterback finished the game 21-of-40 (52.5%) passing for 220 yards and a touchdown. He also fumbled twice – though both times the Eagles recovered the ball.
Philadelphia lost the game, 19-17, on a game-ending, 57-yard field goal.
Jalen Hurts' latest diagnosis shines new light on Week 5 loss
On Monday, Oct. 19, Hurts' agent, Nicole Lynn, wrote in a joint statement with the Eagles that the quarterback had undergone further imaging over the weekend. Doctors diagnosed Hurts with deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli – blood clots in both lungs.
The Eagles' veteran is taking blood thinners to treat his blood clots, Lynn wrote, which means he cannot participate in contact activities like football. Hurts could miss the remainder of the regular season as he treats his blood clots.
Backup quarterback Tanner McKee will fill in for Hurts in the meantime. The Eagles lost McKee's first start of 2026 – to the Carolina Panthers – in Week 6.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jalen Hurts reportedly told not to sleep before playing game with blood clot
