Eagles' Crisis Compounds: Jalen Hurts Blood Clot; 24 Players Injured; Roseman Pivots to Full Seller
What changed (Oct 15-16): Philadelphia's week from hell got worse. Per the Delaware News Journal (USA Today network): "Hurts was diagnosed with a superficial blood clot on Oct. 15 and ruled out for the Eagles' next game, on Oct. 18 against the Carolina Panthers. But Hurts could be out for several more weeks." The Eagles' injury report now lists "24 names... or nearly one-half of the 53-man roster," and Tanner McKee — who lost the backup battle to Andy Dalton in camp — starts Sunday, handing off to fourth-string back Dameon Pierce (Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley are all hurt).
Left tackle Jordan Mailata, who'd called the previous week "a week from hell" after Lane Johnson's abrupt retirement and the Cam Jurgens trade to Baltimore (Eagles' Crisis Compounds: Jalen Hurts Blood Clot; 24 Players Injured; Roseman Pivots to Full Seller), updated his assessment: "I might have jumped the gun on that one... Holy cow. Again, it's the NFL, man. It's the gift that keeps on giving."
The clot converts Howie Roseman's deadline posture from retooler to outright seller ahead of Nov. 10: he's already banked "an extra first-round pick in 2028 by trading A.J. Brown" and "an extra second-round pick in 2028 by trading Jurgens," and the piece flags edge rusher Nolan Smith (fifth-year option, $14M in 2027), DT Moro Ojomo and 2025 first-rounder Jihaad Campbell as the next chips. At 2-3 with the NFC East still winnable, the counterargument exists — but as the article puts it, "That would be misguided."