The NFL told Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester on Nov. 14 that the Jalen Hurts review will include “mutually agreed-upon independent medical experts,” NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller said in a statement released by the senator’s office, according to ProFootballTalk and NBC Sports.
Scope of the Jalen Hurts review
The statement, issued by Miller and shared through Blunt Rochester’s office, says independent medical experts agreed to by both the league and the NFL Players Association will examine the situation and provide conclusions and recommendations to both parties, ProFootballTalk reported.
Investigation status and union role
As of the report, the NFL and the NFLPA had not yet opened a formal, adversarial investigation. Tim McManus of ESPN — cited by ProFootballTalk — reported the league and the union were still working to define the parameters of any probe. ProFootballTalk also noted the NFLPA has not invoked its absolute right under Article 39 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement to launch an investigation.
Context and reactions
The discussion comes five weeks after Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts played a game in London while having a blood clot in his leg, ProFootballTalk said. That timeline has drawn scrutiny; ProFootballTalk criticized the delay in beginning a formal review and called the pause “head scratching.”
It remains unclear, per the reporting, exactly how the review will be structured, what evidence will be examined and what timetable the parties will follow. The Miller statement said the mutually chosen independent experts will share findings and recommendations with both the league and the union, but provided no further procedural details in the notice released by the senator’s office.
Sources: ProFootballTalk