Legendary NFL agent Leigh Steinberg weighed in on the handling of Jalen Hurts’ recent blood clot situation, and predicted the impact it may have on the league and quarterback agents moving forward.
Steinberg said he would have contacted team doctors and sought answers if a quarterback he represented faced a similar situation. He predicted Hurts’ case would put the league on alert, while repeatedly emphasizing that medical experts must determine whether the Eagles handled his care appropriately.
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“The words ‘blood clot’ would set off an alarm bell in my head,” he told OutKick.
“I would have certainly been in touch with the Philadelphia medical staff, with the Eagles medical staff, and asked questions because blood clot is a red flag.”
Hurts is expected to miss the remainder of the season after further testing revealed deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli — blood clots affecting both lungs. The NFL and NFL Players Association announced Oct. 25 that they were working together to review the matter, following the union’s demand for an investigation.
For Steinberg, the situation illustrates why an agent’s responsibilities must extend beyond negotiating contracts.
“This just highlights the active role that every agent has to play in safeguarding the health both short term and long term,” he said.
“It’s where you have to put football aside for a moment,” he added, “and the pressures of a season.”
Steinberg also expressed confidence in Hurts’ agent, Nicole Lynn, and said his description of how he would respond should not be interpreted as an accusation that she failed her client.
“I believe that his agent was diligent,” he said. “I know his agent, she’s excellent.”
The scrutiny centers on Hurts being cleared to play against Jacksonville in London on Oct. 11 after an ultrasound identified a superficial clot in his left calf.
According to the Eagles, Hurts first sought treatment Oct. 8, telling medical personnel he had been cleated during the Oct. 4 game against the Rams. He practiced fully before traveling to London, where the ultrasound was performed Oct. 10. The team said its medical staff and London doctors determined that activity and mobility were important and that he could safely play.
After Hurts returned to Philadelphia, a follow-up ultrasound Oct. 14 revealed movement in the clot, the Eagles said. He was subsequently placed on injured reserve Oct. 17.
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“Should he have played in London?” Steinberg asked. “That’s an open question.”
He stressed that the later diagnosis alone does not establish that the earlier medical decisions were wrong.
“This is a medical question which can only be analyzed by experts in the field of blood clot diagnosis,” he said.
Steinberg said he knows Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and general manager Howie Roseman and believes they are committed to player health. He raised the possibility that Hurts’ condition continued developing despite appropriate attention, and said he knew of no evidence establishing that the diagnosis should have been handled differently.
The NFL has defended the care Hurts received.
“I have complete confidence in the Eagles’ medical staff and their handling of this situation,” NFL medical chief Allen Sills said.
The NFLPA, however, called for a full investigation before conclusions are reached. Front Office Sports reported Oct. 25 that the league and union were discussing the investigation’s process and details, citing a source who said it had not formally launched.
Hurts’ diagnosis is serious, but the Eagles and Lynn have described him as clinically stable, with no significant functional limitations, and said they expect a full recovery without long-term effects. His treatment involves blood thinners, and he cannot participate in contact activities while taking them. Their statement said he could remain around the team and continue conditioning.
Superficial vein thrombosis affects veins near the skin’s surface and is generally less dangerous than deep vein thrombosis. A deep-vein clot can break off and travel to the lungs, causing a potentially life-threatening pulmonary embolism. The distinction matters when assessing what doctors knew at each stage of Hurts’ care.
Steinberg expects the case to encourage greater caution across football.
“The progression of this from a marginal health problem to a potential life-threatening problem is going to put the league on alert,” he said.
Asked whether other agents were discussing the situation, he stopped short of identifying specific conversations.
“I think they should be,” he said.
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Steinberg connected that responsibility to his work on concussions and brain health, including his foundation and medical conferences. His foundation focuses on understanding, preventing and treating concussions, traumatic brain injuries and related conditions.
He said he came to view protecting players’ immediate and future health as a fiduciary responsibility.
The football consequences are substantial, too. Steinberg argued that the importance of franchise quarterbacks, combined with their enormous contracts, leaves teams particularly vulnerable when a starter is lost.
Hurts signed a five-year, $255 million extension in 2023. Philadelphia has turned to Tanner McKee, its sixth-round selection out of Stanford in 2023.
Steinberg described the transition from an experienced, Super Bowl-winning quarterback to McKee as a “precipitous drop off in talent.” He also raised the possibility that another quarterback injury could force Philadelphia further down its depth chart.
“It alters the balance of power in football,” Steinberg said. “And it’s a big setback for the Eagles.”
His larger concern, however, was what happens beyond the season.
“The issue here is long-term health,” he said. “The issue is safeguarding him from dire consequences.”