New York (AFP) – NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said on Wednesday he welcomes an investigation sought by the players union into the medical treatment received by Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts over blood clots.
Goodell, speaking after an NFL team owners meeting in New York, said the league’s chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills has evaluated the measures taken regarding Hurts and noted the NFL Players Association has the right to such a request under the collective bargaining agreement. “We welcome that,” Goodell said. “That’s part of our processes. That’s fine. Our chief medical officer has been through the protocols that were followed, so we welcome that if that’s what they do. They have that right.”
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Hurts was placed on injured reserve and is expected to miss the remainder of the season after blood clots were found in his lungs following an earlier clot in his left calf. Hurts, who led Philadelphia to a Super Bowl victory over the Kansas City Chiefs last year, told team medical staff about the injury after being stepped on during a practice in London. While he was diagnosed with a superficial blood clot in his calf, he was cleared to play against Jacksonville in London before flying home, where more examinations showed blood clots in his lungs.
“I’m not sure how much international travel had to do with this,” Goodell said. “That’s maybe for medical professionals to tell us if that had any impact. I haven’t heard that. There was a medical evaluation, and I think our protocols were incredibly good there.” Making sure the protocols were followed was crucial for the league, Goodell said, in ensuring Hurts had proper treatment. “The most important thing here is Jalen’s health ultimately,” said Goodell. “The protocols were followed. Our process is to make sure that’s the case, and our chief medical officer has gone through that so we’re comfortable that what we’ve seen in the medical protocols happened.”
Sills said Tuesday he could not reveal treatment details due to patient privacy considerations, but Goodell supported the quality of NFL medical caregivers. “When you get into medical evaluations, different people have different opinions on that. You all are reporting, different people are making those evaluations, without even seeing the player, without ever seeing the medical records,” Goodell said. “We have the greatest medical advisors and people that are working on the health of our players.”
© 2024 AFP
