Jalen Hurts Has Blood Clots in His Lungs. Doctors Explain What That Really Means.

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PHILADELPHIA EAGLES QUARTERBACK Jalen Hurts is out for the rest of the 2026-27 NFL season. Originally, the Super Bowl MVP was diagnosed with a superficial blood clot in the left calf. However, an official statement issued today announced multiple blood clots in his lungs.

While the 28-year-old is “clinically stable” and with a “very good” prognosis, he is not allowed to participate in any contact sports—including football. Hurts is currently undergoing treatment with blood thinners. But what does it all mean to have a blood clot—and can it happen to anyone? We asked the experts to break it down for us.

What Is a Blood Clot?

BLOOD CLOTS, ALSO known as coagulation, are a natural healing process we’ve all experienced. When you cut yourself, blood clots—platelets, proteins, and cells stuck together—over the injury to keep you from bleeding excessively. Once the injury heals, your body naturally dissolves the clot.

Where Can a Blood Clot Form?

A BLOOD CLOT can form anywhere in your body.

Sometimes, blood clots form in your blood vessels or arteries without an injury, and they don’t naturally break down. Blockage of blood vessels and restrictive blood flow can cause a life-threatening condition called thrombosis.

“Thrombosis is responsible for about one in four deaths worldwide,” says Erich De Paula, MD, PhD, vice dean and associate professor of hematology at the University of Campinas School of Medicine in Brazil.

How a Blood Clot Feels in Different Parts of the Body

A BLOOD CLOT in your arm and the leg veins is known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT). There are also different types that can appear in your lungs and brain. Each type has its own set of symptoms.

Blood Clot in Your Lungs

WHEN BLOOD CLOTS in your legs break off and travel to your lungs, it can cause a pulmonary embolism (PE). A PE is “the worst-case scenario” when you have a DVT, says Bibhu Mohanty, MD, cardiologist and associate professor of medicine at the University of South Florida. DVT and pulmonary embolism affect about 900,000 Americans every year.

Symptoms can vary depending on your overall health and the size of the blood clot, but as blood flow to your lungs becomes more restricted, you might experience:

• Coughing that might produce bloody mucus

• Sudden shortness of breath

• Sharp and sudden chest pain

Sometimes PE has no symptoms, says Dr. De Paula. In other instances, “a severe and acute PE can be experienced with symptoms from sudden death to near-fainting, severe chest pain, and abrupt shortness of breath.”

Blood Clot in Your Leg

DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS refers to blood clots that form in your body’s deep veins, usually your legs or arms, according to the National Blood Clot Alliance. Symptoms might include:

• Swelling, often in one arm or leg

• Pain or tenderness, usually described as a cramp

• Leg or arm that’s warm to touch

“It’s sometimes hard to describe,” says Dr. Mohanty. “It’s like I feel pain that won’t go away, but I didn’t pull a muscle or hurt myself. I feel something that’s tight and just hurts.”

DVT often happens after long periods of being sedentary—such as taking a long-haul flight, lengthy car trip, or sitting for long periods of time, he says. Smoking, being over 60, and being overweight can increase your risk.

Blood Clot in Your Heart

BLOOD CLOTS CAN form in the arteries of your heart and block blood flow, causing a heart attack. Symptoms might include:

• Chest pain, pressure, or discomfort

“It is common that patients do not point to a specific area of the chest, but rather to a more extensive and poorly defined area of the chest when asked to identify the pain point,” says Dr. De Paula.

The symptoms can occur gradually or suddenly. Dr. Mohanty says you might also experience sweating, gas, and bloating, and it might feel like acid reflux or heartburn. Symptoms also vary depending on which artery of the heart is affected and the size of the artery.

Blood Clot in the Brain

BLOOD CLOTS CAN also block blood vessels to the brain, which can cause an ischemic stroke, the most common type of stroke.

A stroke can happen when a blood clot forms within a blood vessel that supplies blood to the brain, known as cerebral thrombosis, according to the American Stroke Association. It can also occur when a blood clot forms in the heart or another part of your circulatory system, breaks loose, and travels through the brain’s blood vessels. This is known as a cerebral embolism.

The F.A.S.T. warning signs can help you spot a stroke:

Numbness, confusion, trouble seeing, difficulty walking, and severe headaches can also signal a stroke.

“Basically, if you’re noticing a marked change in your face, your ability to talk and move your hands or arms, one compared to the other, it is extremely important to go to the hospital,” Dr. Mohanty says.

When to Seek Emergency Care

THE INDIVIDUAL SYMPTOMS of different types of blood clots can vary, but anytime you have chest pain or discomfort that’s radiating to the upper limbs or neck, shortness of breath, or a cough, seek medical attention, Dr. De Paula says. Also don’t disregard any unexpected pain or cramping in your leg that’s not related to an injury.

Basically, any time “something isn’t right and is different from your human experience, and it won’t go away, it’s definitely time to seek a professional opinion.

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