Blood clots are 'incredibly common,' even for pro athletes like Jalen Hurts. Here's what to know.

By Jaimy Lee

Research has found that it can take more than six months for professional athletes to return to play after being treated for a deep-vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is likely out for the season due to blood clots.

Philadelphia Eagles star quarterback Jalen Hurts is one of the nearly 1 million Americans who will get severe blood clots in their veins or lungs each year.

Up to 900,000 people in the U.S. each year are diagnosed with a deep-vein thrombosis, a serious condition that occurs when a blood clot forms in the deep veins in the calf, thigh or pelvis, or pulmonary embolism, which is when one of those clots travels through the bloodstream and blocks an artery in the lungs.

"The thing about blood clots is they're incredibly common," said John Moriarty, who specializes in cardiovascular and interventional radiology at the UCLA Health hospital system. "They can happen to anyone, and there are certain groups where it's even more likely. Athletes are one of those groups for a couple of reasons, including they travel an awful lot, they are frequently exercising to dehydration, and when you have the combination of those two things, people are at risk of blood clots."

That may be what happened to Hurts. On Monday, the Eagles announced he had been diagnosed with a deep-vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli. In the statement, the team said Hurts will return to play once he stops taking blood thinners.

It's unclear what, if anything, caused his condition. Having a sibling or parent who has been diagnosed with blood clots can raise someone's risk, but more than often than not the cause of blood clots has nothing to do with genetics.

Blood clots are more likely to affect older and sicker people as well as pregnant and postpartum women, but they can show up in anyone. Removing varicose veins, for example, is often thought of as a cosmetic decision, but people who have them have a higher risk of deep-vein thrombosis, according to Eddie Fernandez, a vascular-medicine specialist who practices in Maryland at the Center for Vein Restoration.

Being dehydrated or sitting for long periods of time on a plane or in a car are major risks, he added. Earlier this month, Hurts traveled for a game in London, where he was first diagnosed with a superficial vein thrombosis in his left calf.

"I've thought about that," said Fernandez, who is not involved with Hurts' care. "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."

Beyond travel, athletes, even ones as young and healthy as Hurts, have a unique set of risks. Being tall is a risk. There is also an elevated risk associated with the trauma of injury or from the lack of movement during a recovery.

"Injuries are a big part of it," Moriarty said. "There's a chance of injuring the blood vessel that formed the clots, and that can make it more likely. And whenever you're injured - and unfortunately, football players get injured a lot - is you can be laid up, and if you're laid up, or if you need surgery for the injury, or to wear a cast or a boot or whatever, then that puts you at a super high risk of developing blood clots."

Basketball players and baseball pitchers sometimes develop clots in their shoulders, though for most people, including most professional athletes, blood clots develop in their legs.

It can take an average of 6.7 months for professional athletes who experienced a deep-vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism to return to the field after undergoing treatment, either with blood thinners or surgery, according to a retrospective study published in 2017.

San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama missed 30 games in 2025 due to a deep-vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. Tennis legend Serena Williams has twice dealt with blood clots; in 2010, she was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism, and then had another diagnosis in 2017 after the birth of her daughter.

But not all examples are recovery stories. Of the 55 instances that researchers examined in the 2017 study, seven athletes did not return to their sport. The Miami Heat's Chris Bosh ended his NBA career at 31 years old after dealing with recurring blood clots.

That said, doctors say that knowing the symptoms and getting treated early makes a big difference. There are several types of surgeries for the most serious cases, including thrombectomies, which are minimally invasive. In general, stay hydrated, make sure to get up and move around every six hours or so, and recognize symptoms like sudden shortness of breath or leg swelling or pain, especially if you've recently had surgery, given birth, or been down with a cold. And if you need to seek out care, try to find a hospital that has a pulmonary embolism response team.

"It is a very common thing in hospitals now," Moriarty said. "It's a marker of having good care for people with blood clots."

-Jaimy Lee

This content was created by MarketWatch, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. MarketWatch is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

10-19-26 1758ET