The NFL world was shocked on Monday to learn the latest update on Jalen Hurts, as it was revealed that the Eagles quarterback would miss the rest of the season due to blood clots in his lungs and his calf, which would require blood thinners to treat.
The news comes as the latest piece of information in the Hurts saga, as he missed the team's Week 7 game against the Panthers due to a blood clot in his calf, which seemed to be connected to a calf injury he suffered when struck by a cleat in the team's Week 5 game against the Rams. Now, we know that he was diagnosed with that clot after flying to London for a Week 6 game, and still ended up playing in a loss to the Jaguars overseas before flying home.
Is it time for Jalen Hurts to retire from the NFL?
There is plenty of room to debate whether the Eagles
put Jalen Hurts at unnecessary risk by having him play in London, though the league is apparently uninterested in punishing the franchise for that decision. Another question to broach is whether Hurts should return to the gridiron after this season, given such a significant injury.
Multiple doctors have come forward and said that playing with the clot in his calf alone could have killed Hurts. Add the international flight home, and Hurts is probably lucky to be alive. And the fact of the matter is, blood clots like this can easily become a recurring issue, and having a previous deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism is one of the strongest risk factors for having another one.
Hurts has played seven seasons in the league – well, six-and-a-half. He has won a Super Bowl with the Eagles. He's been named the Super Bowl MVP. He's been named an All-Pro and a Pro Bowl selection. His legacy is pretty well protected. And as long as he hasn't thrown his money away, he won't need much more financial security.
So perhaps Hurts should think this through and reflect on whether or not it's really worth the risk to his life to return to the NFL after this. After all, some things are much bigger than football, and it is safe to say someone's life should probably be at the top of that list.
This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: Is it time for Jalen Hurts to retire from the NFL?
