The news that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is expected to miss at least the remainder of the 2026-27 regular season (11 games) due to blood clots reportedly found in his left leg (deep vein thrombosis) and in both of his lungs (bilateral pulmonary emboli) has understandably focused attention on the health and well-being of Jalen Hurts, the team’s playoff aspirations, and its depth at quarterback. However, from a sports insurance perspective, the situation raises several significant questions regarding financial protection for both the Eagles and Hurts.
The first question is whether the Eagles purchased disability insurance coverage on Hurts’ five-year, $255 million contract extension—with $110 million guaranteed— he signed in April 2023. When teams make investments of that magnitude, disability insurance often becomes an important risk-management tool designed to offset the potential financial losses associated with a player suffering a serious injury or illness resulting in missed games.
Reports indicate that the Eagles remain obligated to pay Hurts approximately $22 million in guaranteed compensation for the remainder of the 2026-27 season. If the Eagles purchased a temporary total disability (TTD) insurance policy on Hurts before the injury, the next important question becomes how much of that guaranteed salary the organization will be able to recover from the carrier? The answer depends on the specific language of the TTD policy.
Athlete TTD insurance policies (whether purchased by a player or his team) frequently contain an elimination period which triggers a payout only after the player misses a set number of games (usually two or three consecutive games or five or six games over a regular season). That elimination period serves much like a deductible. For example, if an NFL player has a guaranteed salary of $50 million for a season and an NFL season consists of 17 games, he would earn just over $2.94 million per game. If that player is injured in week six, he would have 11 games remaining in the regular season, with $32.35 million of his $50 million salary remaining. Subtracting $5.9 million from the $32.35 million for the elimination period, the team could recover $26.47 million, assuming the TTD policy’s limits of liability were that high.
Most athlete TTD policies provide coverage for injuries and illnesses sustained worldwide 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In other words, a player could sustain a serious injury arising out of a car accident anywhere in the world, and most TTD policies would still pay out as long as the injury is the sole reason the athlete misses games and the elimination period is satisfied. Some TTD policies only provide coverage for injuries or illnesses sustained while the athlete was performing his listed profession, like a professional American football player. This could be important for the Eagles because it is not yet clear whether the deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli arose from his football activities. Whether this is an issue for the Eagles will again depend on the specific wording of the TTD policy they purchased.
Another question for which we do not yet have an answer is whether Jalen purchased a TTD or permanent total disability (PTD) policy covering the non-guaranteed portions of his $255 million contract. According to some published reports, Hurts has little to no guaranteed salary remaining under his current contract structure after the 2026-27 season. Everyone is hopeful that the blood clots Hurts is suffering from will not impact his ability to continue playing for the Eagles after this season. Still, if the condition lingers into next season or permanently sidelines him, he could recover any non-guaranteed salary he loses by purchasing a TTD or PTD policy on himself before the start of this season.
For professional athletes, particularly those with substantial non-guaranteed contract value, individual disability insurance can provide critical protection against the financial impact a serious injury or illness might have on their financial future. These sports insurance policies could help soften the financial blow a significant injury or illness (career-ending or otherwise) might have on the athlete’s future.
As player contracts continue to reach historic levels in all sports, the Jalen Hurts situation serves as a reminder that TTD and PTD insurance remain an essential component of financial planning and risk management for both the individual athlete and the teams they play for. While fans focus on wins and losses, the insurance ramifications behind the scenes can be even more significant.
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