Jalen Hurts Is Expected to Miss the Rest of 2026

Jalen Hurts is clinically stable and expected to recover fully. Football has to wait.

On October 19, the Eagles and Hurts' agent, Nicole Lynn, announced that further testing had revealed deep-vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli. Hurts must take blood thinners and can't participate in contact activities during treatment, according to the team's statement.

The Eagles haven't declared his season over, but NFL Network reported an expected three-month recovery. That timetable makes a 2026 return unlikely. For fantasy purposes, the season is done.

Hurts had already landed on injured reserve after five games, finishing his abbreviated season with 933 passing yards, eight touchdowns, and three interceptions. Those numbers undersell the loss. He entered drafts with a fifth-round average draft position after five straight seasons among the top eight quarterbacks in fantasy points per game, according to PFF's preseason analysis.

In redraft, Hurts has essentially no remaining value. Keeper and dynasty managers hold and wait for the recovery.

Tanner McKee

Tanner McKee takes over an offense built around things he doesn't do.

McKee is a pocket passer. His first start produced 215 yards and one touchdown on 26-of-45 passing in a 25–14 loss to Carolina, while Philadelphia managed seventeen first downs and punted eight times.

The efficiency and lack of rushing leave him as a low-end QB2 or matchup streamer, with little reason to chase him in ordinary one-quarterback leagues.

DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert

DeVonta Smith drew fourteen targets, catching seven passes for seventy-five yards and Philadelphia's only passing touchdown. That workload keeps him in WR2 territory, although his weekly ceiling now depends on an offense that scored fourteen points in McKee's debut.

Dallas Goedert caught six of eight targets for sixty-one yards. He remains playable near the TE1/TE2 line rather than becoming an automatic weekly start.

Dontayvion Wicks and Makai Lemon still matter in deeper leagues. Wicks has a 17.1 percent target share with a 79 percent snap share, while Lemon sits at 15 percent and has gained playing time over the past three games. McKee's passing volume can keep one of them useful in a given week.

Saquon Barkley

The backside defender no longer has to respect Hurts keeping the ball. Defenses can close harder on Barkley, squeeze the running lanes, and bring another body toward the box.

His efficiency and touchdown ceiling take a modest hit, which pushes him closer to RB2 valuation until McKee proves he can keep defenses from sitting on the run.

Dameon Pierce scored on a two-yard carry against Carolina and has immediate roster value while Barkley's availability remains uncertain. The opportunity is real. The offense attached to it still has work to do.

The reset

Barkley gets the worst end of the tactical change because every defense can play the run more aggressively.

It can't replace Jalen Hurts.

ZeroChalk is not affiliated with the NFL, NFL teams, or the NFLPA. Injury and role calls are best-guess reads from public practice and camp reporting, not inside information.