Eagles Keep Jalen Hurts Off IR Despite a Blood Clot, and the Panthers Line Has Swung 9.5 Points

Eagles Rule Out Jalen Hurts With a Blood Clot but Hold Off on Injured Reserve

Philadelphia is not planning to place quarterback Jalen Hurts on injured reserve, even as he remains sidelined indefinitely with a superficial blood clot, sources told ESPN. The team has not discussed it, and a move would keep him out at least four weeks. Hurts is ruled out for Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers.

ESPN reported that the Eagles believe the clot is treatable and that Hurts and the team are seeking additional medical opinions. Clots are usually treated with blood thinners, and a player cannot play while on them. Sources put the minimum for a moderate dose at about six weeks, and said doctors may start with anti-inflammatories if the clot is minor. The team said the clot moved, and ESPN notes blood thinners are often the answer in that case.

but could be six weeks.

Tanner McKee will start, rookie Cole Payton moves up to backup, and Philadelphia signed Joe Milton off Dallas' practice squad. Running back Saquon Barkley is also out Sunday with a hamstring injury, though the Eagles think he can return next week, per ESPN.

Panthers at Eagles Odds: What the Market Did

Philadelphia went from a clear home favorite to a home underdog. DraftKings opened the Eagles at -6.5 and now has the Panthers at -3, per ESPN's odds feed as of October 17 at 9:15 AM ET.

The feed does not say why a line moved or when, so everything after this table is our reading and not a reported cause.

Our Read: Pricing a Backup Quarterback and an Uncertain Return

• The swing is bigger than a normal injury move. A 9.5-point change is large for one player, and it suggests the market sees McKee as a steep drop from Hurts, though the Eagles are only 2-3 and were not dominant before this.
• The lower total looks like a run-heavy, low-possession script. Four points off the total fits a team with a backup passer and a limited backfield, but it is only our guess about how the market is thinking.
• No IR may mean a short clock or a cautious one. Skipping injured reserve can signal hope for an early return, yet ESPN's sources say the medical range runs to six weeks or more. The evidence points both ways.
• The roster churn matters too. Lane Johnson retired and center Cam Jurgens was traded, per ESPN, so McKee has less protection than the Eagles had a month ago.

None of this tells us who wins Sunday. It shows how much of the Eagles' price rested on one player and how little the public timeline can tell us.

What to Watch With Hurts and the Eagles

• Any update from additional medical opinions, since the Eagles say the final call rests with Hurts' doctors.
• Whether McKee leans on short throws or the offense runs through the backfield with Barkley out.
• Whether the line moves again before kickoff at 1 PM ET.
• Whether Milton, who must stay on the roster three weeks by NFL rules, becomes part of the plan.

See our NFL odds hub and no-vig calculator

Odds describe a price and not an outcome. Set a limit before you bet, and bet only where it is legal.