The Philadelphia Eagles moved Jalen Hurts to injured reserve on Saturday, October 17, two days after a blood clot in his calf kept him out of this weekend’s game, so their starting quarterback will miss at least four games and Tanner McKee takes over the offense.
The club announced the move in the afternoon and, in the same set of transactions, signed running back Jaydon Blue to the 53-man roster and called up outside linebacker Keyshawn James-Newby and safety Cole Wisniewski from the practice squad for Sunday. A stay on injured reserve keeps a player out for a minimum of four games, which means Hurts cannot return before the Eagles’ bye in Week 10.
We have placed QB Jalen Hurts on the Injured Reserve list and signed RB Jaydon Blue to the active roster. OLB Keyshawn James-Newby and S Cole Wisniewski have been elevated for the game. pic.twitter.com/AnmkX7KteY
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) October 17, 2026
Adam Schefter reported that Philadelphia reached the decision after its medical staff consulted a number of doctors and specialists, a process that ran into Saturday. Ian Rapoport reported that McKee will start Sunday and for the games that follow. The team has not given a timeline for Hurts’ return, and it has not said how the clot will be treated.
More about the Philadelphia Eagles deciding to place Jalen Hurts on injured reserve after consultations with numerous doctors and experts that went into Saturday:https://t.co/dxWbxMZ7a6
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 17, 2026
How a calf problem became a season question
The trouble began in the Week 4 home loss to the Los Angeles Rams on October 4, when Hurts took a cleat to the calf. He received treatment four days later, and an ultrasound cleared him to play at Jacksonville, with doctors asking for a second scan soon after the game. He started that game, completing 21 of 40 passes for 220 yards and a touchdown in a 19-17 defeat. The second scan, on Wednesday night, showed that the small clot had shifted. On Thursday the Eagles ruled him out against Carolina, saying he would sit while they decided on the right course of treatment.
Medical specialists quoted in reports this week said clots are commonly treated with blood thinners, and a player cannot take contact while on them. Such a course usually lasts about six weeks, so the length of Hurts’ absence will depend on what his doctors decide. That is not yet known.
McKee’s turn, and a thin offense
McKee, 26, has two NFL starts, both in Week 18 games after Philadelphia had already secured a playoff place, in 2024 and 2025. He won the backup job back after Week 3, and he said this week that a reserve must be ready to play at any moment. “Somebody said pressure is a privilege and I really think that’s true,” McKee said on Thursday.
Behind him, rookie Cole Payton moves up to the No. 2 spot, and Philadelphia added quarterback Joe Milton from the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad on Friday. Milton has to stay on the 53-man roster for three weeks under league rules.
Hurts had thrown for 933 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions in five starts, completing 89 of 154 passes. Even with him, the offense had stalled: the Eagles have not scored more than 24 points in any game this season and have lost three in a row. Running back Saquon Barkley and receiver DeVonta Smith have also been dealing with hamstring injuries.
What comes next
The Eagles, 2-3, host the Carolina Panthers, 2-2, at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, October 18, at 1:00 p.m. EDT; follow it in the Panthers-Eagles Game Center. Philadelphia then hosts the Dallas Cowboys on Monday, October 26, before games against the Washington Commanders and New York Giants that lead into the bye. Every roster move is on the transactions page, and the latest designations are on the injury report.
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