Updated:
by
Eddie A. Fernandez, MD, RPVI
Medically reviewed by Eddie A. Fernandez, MD, RPVI
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is one of the fittest athletes in professional sports. This month, he joined the hundreds of thousands of Americans diagnosed with blood clots each year. The team announced that Hurts has deep vein thrombosis, (DVT) and blood clots in both lungs, and he is expected to miss the rest of the season.
When MarketWatch looked at why blood clots strike even elite athletes, it turned to Dr. Eddie Fernandez, a vein specialist at Center for Vein Restoration (CVR) in North Bethesda/Rockville, Maryland, and Silver Spring, Maryland. Dr. Fernandez is not involved in Hurts' care however, his perspective applies to anyone who travels, sits for long stretches, or lives with varicose veins.
According to the Associated Press, the Eagles said Hurts took a cleat to his calf during an Oct. 4 game against the Los Angeles Rams. Specialists in London, where the team traveled for its next game, first diagnosed a superficial vein thrombosis in his left calf. After he returned to Philadelphia, a follow-up ultrasound showed the clot had moved.
The team and Hurts' agent later announced that he has DVT and bilateral pulmonary emboli, meaning a clot traveled from his leg to both lungs. He is being treated with blood thinners and cannot return to contact football until he is off them. The team says he is expected to make a full recovery.
Hurts' case moved through three stages that are worth understanding.
Superficial vein thrombosis (SVT) is a clot in the superficial compartment, many of these veins are near the skin's surface, and the area with the clot may feel hard, red, and tender.
Deep vein thrombosis is a clot in one of the larger veins deep inside the leg, usually in the calf, thigh, or pelvis.
Pulmonary embolism (PE) happens when part of a deep clot breaks loose and lodges in an artery in the lungs. It is a medical emergency.
A superficial clot is not always as harmless as it sounds. Surface veins connect to the deep veins of the leg, so a clot has somewhere to go. In a review of 21 studies reported by the National Library of Medicine, roughly one in five people with superficial vein thrombosis also had a DVT.
Blood clots are far more common than most people realize. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that up to 900,000 people in the United States are affected by blood clots each year.
Clots are more likely in older adults, people with chronic illness, and women who are pregnant or have just given birth. But they can happen to anyone, including a 28-year-old quarterback.
Athletes face two clot risks all season long: constant travel and hard training that can leave them dehydrated. Together, those factors raise the odds of a clot.
Dr. Fernandez told MarketWatch that dehydration and long periods of sitting on a plane or in a car are major risk factors. He pointed to the NFL’s international games as an example: “Some of these games in Brazil and London, in which they’re having to do this very, very long-distance travel, there might be some immobility, which is concerning.”
Injury is the other major factor. A hard hit can damage the blood vessel where a clot later forms. Being laid up afterward, having surgery, or wearing a cast or boot raises the risk further. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, being still slows blood flow in the legs, and clots can develop during a flight longer than four hours.
Hurts' timeline included a direct blow to the calf followed by an overseas flights; two risk factors stacked within a week.
The point Dr. Fernandez made that matters most for everyday readers has nothing to do with football. He told MarketWatch that many people have and treat varicose vein removal as a cosmetic decision, when people with varicose veins actually face a higher risk of both SVT and DVT.
Research backs him up. Cleveland Clinic notes that having varicose veins raises your risk of DVT above average. A large study of more than 425,000 adults, published in JAMA and indexed by the National Library of Medicine, found that people with varicose veins were about five times more likely to develop DVT than people without them. Varicose veins are a sign that the valves inside your leg veins are not working properly. That is a medical issue worth evaluating, not a cosmetic one to ignore.
At CVR, a board-certified vein specialist uses duplex ultrasound to check both the surface veins you can see and the deep veins you can't. If treatment is needed, minimally invasive, office-based procedures close the damaged vein, and blood reroutes through healthy veins
A 2017 study published in Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine reviewed 55 blood clot cases among NFL, NHL, NBA, and MLB players. On average, athletes lost 6.7 months of play, whether they were treated with blood thinners or surgery. Seven never returned to their sport.
Hurts is not the first star to face this. San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama missed 30 games in 2025 with a DVT in his right shoulder. Tennis great Serena Williams has had a pulmonary embolism and was diagnosed with another clot after giving birth to her daughter in 2017. Miami Heat star Chris Bosh's NBA career ended at 31 after recurring clots.
Basketball players and baseball pitchers sometimes develop clots in their shoulders. Most people, including most pro athletes, develop them in their legs.
You don't need a 6–10-hour flight to London to face the same risks. Long road trips, cross-country flights, and desk-bound workdays all keep the calf muscles still for hours.
Move every hour or two. Mayo Clinic advises walking a bit every hour or two on long flights, train rides, and car trips.
Flex your ankles while seated. Mayo Clinic also recommends flexing and extending your ankles every 30 to 60 minutes and avoiding sitting with your legs crossed.
Drink water. Stay hydrated and limit alcohol on travel days.
Pack compression stockings. Graduated compression stockings for travel help keep blood moving out of the lower legs.
Talk to your doctor before a long trip if you have varicose veins, a history of blood clots, a recent injury or surgery, or a family history of clots.
Recognizing a clot early and getting treated quickly makes a real difference.
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, signs of DVT include swelling, pain or tenderness, cramping, warmth, and red or discolored skin, usually in one leg. Watch closely after surgery, childbirth, illness, or a long trip.
Johns Hopkins Medicine warns that sudden chest pain, trouble breathing, or coughing up blood can signal a pulmonary embolism. Call 911 immediately.
For leg symptoms without chest pain or breathing trouble, CVR offers a same-day DVT rule-out service as an alternative to waiting in an emergency room. The service provides high-priority, noninvasive testing with an ultrasound scan, along with treatment, education, and follow-up in one place. Call the DVT hotline at 877-SCAN-DVT (877-722-6388).
Jalen Hurts had a team of doctors watching his every move, and a clot still found its way to his lungs. Most people don't have that kind of medical attention, which is why paying attention to your own legs matters.
If you have varicose veins, swelling, aching, or heaviness in your legs, a vein evaluation can show what's happening below the surface. The Center for Vein Restoration is the nation's largest physician-led vein practice, with 130+ locations across 23 states, 100+ board-certified vein doctors, and a 98% patient satisfaction rate. Medically necessary vein treatment is covered by most insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid.
Q: What happened to Jalen Hurts?
A: The Eagles announced that Hurts has deep vein thrombosis and blood clots in both lungs after a calf injury and a trip to London and being diagnosed with SVT. He is being treated with blood thinners and is expected to make a full recovery.
Q: Do varicose veins increase your risk of blood clots?
A: Yes. A large study published in JAMA found that people with varicose veins were about five times more likely to develop DVT. Varicose veins are a medical issue worth evaluating, not just a cosmetic one. They are also a common cause of SVTs; just like the first problem started for Jalen Hurts.
Q: Can a superficial blood clot become dangerous?
A: It can. Surface veins connect to the deep veins of the leg, and about one in five people with superficial vein thrombosis also have a DVT. Any painful, red, hardened veins should be checked.
Q: How can I prevent blood clots on a long flight or drive?
A: Get up and walk every hour or two, flex your ankles while seated, drink water, and consider compression stockings. Talk to your doctor before the trip if you have varicose veins or other risk factors.
Q: What are the signs of a blood clot in the leg?
A: Swelling, pain, tenderness, warmth, cramping, or red or discolored skin, usually in one leg. For same-day testing, call CVR's DVT hotline at 877-SCAN-DVT (877-722-6388).
Q: When is a blood clot an emergency?
A: Sudden chest pain, breathing trouble, or coughing up blood can mean a clot has reached the lungs. Also, when any of your extremities become severely swollen and/or painful from a blood clot. Call 911 immediately.
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