Professional athletes are the most in-shape people in the world. NFL players, in particular, are physical specimens who can outrun, outjump, and outmuscle just about anybody. Football players aren't immune to health scares, though, and Jalen Hurts' battle with blood clots proves that.
The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback was a late scratch ahead of Week 6 after he was diagnosed with a superficial blood clot in his calf. Since then, it has been reported that Hurts was up until 4 a.m. ahead of the Eagles' Week 5 game in London because of struggles with the issue, and the diagnosis has since become much worse.
Now, Hurts is expected to miss the rest of the season, as his issue is being described as deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli. The blood clot spread to the QB's lungs, and he will be on blood thinners that will hold him out of football action for at least three months.
Luckily, Hurts is expected to make a full recovery, but this has been a scary process nonetheless. Unfortunately, blood clotting issues are seemingly becoming more and more common in athletes. So, what other stars have had similar scares, and how long were they sidelined?
NFL stars have recently dealt with blood clotting
Hurts' blood clotting scare was perhaps the most notable in recent NFL history, but it wasn't the only example the league has seen as of recent. Just this offseason, Carolina Panthers' offensive lineman Taylor Morton was experiencing symptoms during a youth football camp that led to the discovery of blood clots in his right lung.
The right tackle went on blood thinners and wasn't taken off until the last couple of weeks. The issue has held Morton out of action thus far this season. However, the Panthers just activated Morton's 21-day practice window, meaning a return to game action is likely just around the corner. Morton practiced in pads for the first time ahead of Carolina's Week 6 matchup.
Before Morton, Chris Olave was forced to miss Week 18 of last season. Health scares have long been the biggest concern with Olave, who is one of the most talented pass catchers in the NFL. Olave had a prior history of concussion issues, not of blood clotting, but he was able to return to the field for the New Orleans Saints offseason programs, and he has been one of the most productive players in the entire league this season. Olave ranks fourth in receptions (43) and second in receiving yards (580).
Some big-name NBA players had blood clot problems
Blood clotting isn't an NFL-isolated issue. It has perhaps been even more prevalent in the NBA. Two of the league's biggest stars, Victor Wembanyama and Damian Lillard, were diagnosed with blood clotting issues within just weeks of each other during the 2024-25 season.
Wembanyama, who entered the NBA as one of the most highly-touted prospects ever, had that season cut short because of deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. However, he bounced back this most recent season to earn the first-ever unanimous Defensive Player of the Year nod. In what was his third straight season leading the league in blocks, Wemby elevated his San Antonio Spurs to an appearance in the NBA Finals. The 7-foot-4 Frenchman is well-known for advanced and innovative training and recovery methods, and The Alien's bounce back proved he is far from ordinary.
Lillard's blood clotting issue wasn't viewed as severe as Wembanyama's. One of the greatest players in Portland Trail Blazers history missed just a few weeks due to deep vein thrombosis in his right calf. However, upon his return, Lillard tore his achilles tendon. The issues were reported to be unconnected, but the fifth-leading 3-point shooter all-time did miss all of this last season.
A year before Wembanyama and Lillard, Ausar Thompson dealt with blood clotting. His issue shut down his 2023-24 season and delayed his 2024-25 campaign, but Thompson has been one of the best defenders in the NBA ever since, even leading the league in steals this past season.
The most famous blood clotting issue in sports didn't have as much of a happy ending as some of the recent examples. Chris Bosh entered the league in one of the best draft classes ever, and he finished his career as an 11-time All-Star and two-time champion, but blood clotting effectively ended his playing days.
Article Continues BelowAfter the 2015 NBA All-Star Game, Bosh was admitted to a Miami hospital when he was having trouble with his lungs. Blood clotting was discovered in his lungs, and his season was shut down on Feb. 21. He returned to play the next season, but now he had blood clotting in his leg, and his season was again shut down. While Bosh didn't officially retire until 2019, he never did play again after his second blood clotting issue, which was officially ruled a career-ending illness. It was an unfortunate end to a career for one of the best power forwards in NBA history.
The greatest women's athlete ever bounced-back from blot clotting
Serena Williams is arguably the greatest women's athlete in all of sports history. Not even she was immune to blood clotting problems, and she suffered through them before they were as prevalent as they've become in sports today. In 2011, the tennis star lacerated her foot, and eventually began dealing with symptoms like swelling and shortness of breath.
She was diagnosed with hematoma and a pulmonary embolism, and multiple blood clots were discovered in her lungs. Surgery was required for pooled blood in her stomach. The incident reportedly had Williams on her deathbed, but she returned to continue her reign of tennis dominance.
Years later, in 2017, more blood clots were discovered during Williams' pregnancy. The blood thinners used to fix the issue caused a hemorrhage at her C-section site, and the stitches burst due to coughing. Williams had multiple more surgeries and was bedridden for six weeks, but like always, the strong-willed superstar came back even stronger.