A New Era in Philly

A New Era in Philly

On October 4^th, in a game vs the Los Angeles Rams, Jalen Hurts suffered a cleat to his calf. Jalen Hurts never left the game, and it wasn’t until days later when he reached out to the training staff. It was only then, in preparation for their game against the Jaguars in London, Jalen Hurts was notified he had a superficial blood clot in his calf as result of the cleating incident. Hurts went on to play every snap against the Jaguars despite the blood clot concern. However, today, it has been reported that Jalen Hurts will miss the remainder of the season due to this blood clotting issue. So, what does this mean for Philadelphia?

First let’s go back to the injury at hand. Originally it was just a superficial blood clot in Hurts’ calf, which is something that is very treatable, somewhere between 2-6 weeks recovery. However, his superficial blood clot diagnosis didn’t stop there. His condition has escalated to a bilateral pulmonary embolus. Whatever that means… In all seriousness, this means the blood clots have transitioned from his calf (where they were very treatable) to both of his lungs, potentially clogging up arteries. This is a real concern for anybody, bilateral pulmonary embolus could be life threatening, but it is treatable. Treatable by anticoagulants, or blood thinners. The problem with these blood thinners is that you cannot be involved with serious contact sports while on these medications. Blood thinners increase the risk of internal bleeding, and well… a contact sport such as football may not be the best idea while on these medications. I assume Hurts will be on some sort of blood thinning medication for the next 3+ months. Also please keep in mind, I am no doctor. Everything medically related, is pure speculation and opinion, I could be totally wrong, but based on my research, this is a common diagnosis/treatment.

I also want to point this out as well. Chris Bosh was in a very similar situation back in 2015. He had been diagnosed with blood clotting in his calf, which then lead to pulmonary embolism in his lungs. For those that don’t know, Chris Bosh played his last game when he was only 31 years old. He was forced to retire early because of this medical issue. I hope Jalen Hurts does not have to do the same. Prayers up to Jaylen Hurts and I hope he gets healthy soon.

Now that leads me to the Eagles new situation. They have had a lackluster start to the season, after losing this week to the Panthers, they are now 2-4. And with Hurts out for the season, I don’t see this team competing for their division this year. So where do they go? There has been reports that the Eagles might look to sell at the deadline if they lose a few more games. Which now, is likely. I don’t see them selling completely though. This Eagles team is talented, it just so happens this year, seems to be a year from hell for this team.

Saquon Barkley has been dealing with nagging injuries, actually their whole running back room has been dealing with nagging injuries. Dameon Pierce just started a game for them this week. Not only that though, Lane Johnson, their All-Pro RT retired out of nowhere, they then traded Cam Jurgens, also seemingly out of nowhere. Something is definitely going on in Philadelphia, and I don’t think it’s anything good.

With Jalen Hurts’ injury seemingly putting the nail in the coffin for their season, where do they go next? Nick Sirianni will most likely still be their coach at the end of the season. In my opinion, he should be gone, but considering how Jalen Hurts will likely be the scapegoat of this season, Sirianni will remain the coach going into the 2027 season. That being said, they have the chance to get a top 10 pick in this year’s upcoming draft. If they continue to lose games with Tanner McKee as their starting QB, and the uncertainty with Jalen Hurts going into next season, is it possible to see a rookie QB starting for the Eagles next year?

I think this injury could be a blessing in disguise for the Eagles. It allows them to tank this season and get a top 10 pick. In an alleged stacked rookie class, especially with QBs, why wouldn’t they take one? Forget Jalen Hurts’ injury for a second, the Eagles’ offense looked terrible with Jalen Hurts at the helm. And they’ve been on a slow decline ever since they won their Super Bowl two seasons ago. Is it time to cut ties and move on from Hurts? Hurts isn’t the same without Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, and A.J. Brown. I don’t see them winning another Bowl with this same core, they did it once, their window appears to have closed. But, next year, an Eagles team with a new coaching staff, a top 10 pick… Maybe this is the best option moving forward, a new slate, and a new era in Philly.

This is just food for thought, I don’t think this will happen, not even close to be honest. Like I said, Sirianni will probably still be the head coach next season, and Hurts will probably go into the season the starter, hopefully he is healthy enough for that. But I do think this is a possible direction the franchise could be going into. If they don’t choose this route now, they might find themselves stuck in mediocrity for the foreseeable future. Also note, I am a 49ers fan and have actively rooted against the Eagles since the 2023 NFC Championship game, so take this article with a grain of salt.