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Jalen Hurts joins Serena Williams, Chris Bosh among athletes who battled blood clots
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- Jalen Hurts joins Serena Williams, Chris Bosh among athletes who battled blood clots
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was diagnosed this week with blood clots in both of his lungs, a serious medical condition likely to end his NFL season, and he's not the first professional athlete to deal with blood clots.
Serena Williams, Chris Bosh and Victor Wembanyama are among athletes who have experienced blood clots, which can be life-threatening.
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Hurts was initially diagnosed with superficial vein thrombosis in his calf while in London last week for the Eagles ' Oct. 11 game against the Jaguars , but the blood clots traveled to his lungs and the current diagnosis is deep vein thrombosis with bilateral pulmonary emboli, according to a statement released by Hurts' agent on Oct. 19.
Hurts will be treated with blood thinners, which medical experts say increase the risk of serious bleeding with traumatic injuries, including internal bleeding. As a result, Hurts won't be able to participate in contact activities and is unlikely to play again this NFL season.
The prognosis for blood clots depends on where in the body they occur and how they are treated. Here's what other athletes with similar diagnoses to Hurts have said about blood clots.
Serena Williams 'on my death bed' during blood clot scare
In 2011, Williams was hospitalized and treated for multiple pulmonary embolisms in her lungs. After she cut her foot, a blood clot developed and eventually made its way into the major artery feeding her lungs. Williams spent months on anticoagulants (blood-thinning medication) and eventually returned to playing tennis.
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"I was on my death bed at one point, quite literally," Williams said.
Williams developed another pulmonary embolism in 2017 after giving birth to her first daughter, Olympia, via emergency C-section surgery. After the surgery, Williams temporarily stopped taking her daily anticoagulant medication and felt short of breath. She asked doctors for a CT scan, which revealed several blood clots in her lungs.
Williams shared in an interview with Vogue that because of her previous experience with blood clots, she knew the signs and was able to flag to doctors that something was wrong. But complications from heavy blood thinners caused her to hemorrhage at her C-section site and required Williams to undergo multiple surgeries, including one to insert a vein filter to prevent more clots from reaching her heart and lungs.
In both instances, Williams returned to championship form after recovering from blood clots. Out of her 23 Grand Slam singles titles, 10 were won after her first pulmonary embolism in 2011. After her post-birth complications, Williams worked her way back into the top 10 rankings and played several more years on tour before retiring in 2022, but made another comeback to tennis this summer.
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Chris Bosh forced to retire after blood clot battle
NBA player Chris Bosh is perhaps the most famous example of blood clots impacting a professional athlete after recurring blood clots ended his basketball career.
The former Miami Heat star was ruled out for the remainder of the 2014-15 season in February 2015 when a blood clot was discovered in his lungs. One year later, another blood clot was found in his leg and Bosh was forced to retire at age 31 after the NBA ruled it a career-ending illness.
This February, Bosh suffered another pulmonary embolism and said in a social media video that he was "lucky to be alive" and had to be hospitalized.
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"I almost dropped dead pretty much and came back to life. I'm not joking," Bosh told HoopsHype.com. "You got to deal with it for the rest of your life. I thought I was past it. I am not. So, you know, it's just making sure I stay on top of my regimen."
Victor Wembanyama's 'life-changing' blood clot diagnosis
San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama was diagnosed last year with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in his right shoulder, which ended his 2024-25 NBA season.
Although DVT typically occurs in the legs or lower extremities, Wembanyama's condition was rarer because it developed in his arm. The blood clot was discovered after he returned to San Antonio from playing in the NBA All-Star Game in San Francisco; frequent plane travel can increase the risk of DVT due to inactivity.
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Wembanyama immediately underwent surgery on his shoulder to prevent the blood clot from migrating to his lungs. He was able return to basketball for the 2025-26 season, which culminated in the Spurs reaching the NBA Finals.
"It is life-changing," Wembanyama said of his diagnosis. "I mean, spending so much time in hospitals and around doctors and hearing more bad news than I wish I heard. Of course, as you said, it is traumatic, but in the long run I think it's going to be very beneficial, because even though I don't wish it on (anybody), it makes you understand lessons that nothing else could have made you understand."
Damian Lillard's early diagnosis speeded up return
Another prominent NBA star to deal with blood clotting is Damian Lillard, who was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right calf in March 2025 while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks.
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Lillard said he noticed soreness in his calf combined with abnormal swelling, which prompted him to alert Bucks medical staff.
"My leg just felt swollen," he said. "It was like super tight. And that was kind of what led me to go to the team in the first place, because I was just like 'This ain't normal.' We went from there."
The early diagnosis, along with constant daily treatment, helped him get back on the court sooner. Lillard started on blood-thinning medication and was able to return that April in time to play in the Bucks' first-round playoff series, which he said doctors told him was a remarkably quick recovery.
Deion Sanders battles family history of blood clotting issues
Colorado football coach Deion Sanders underwent surgery in 2025 to remove blood clots from his lower body, the second time he's had that surgery after an initial procedure in 2023.
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Sanders said his family had a history of blood clotting problems. He said his mother told him one uncle died from such complications , another almost did and that his mother also had issues with clotting.
Zack Wheeler sidelined for months after clot in shoulder
The pitcher initially complained of soreness in his throwing shoulder after a start. Examinations revealed a deep vein thrombosis, and Wheeler's first surgery was a non-invasive procedure to dissolve the blood clot in his shoulder.
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But Wheeler was later diagnosed with a condition called venous thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS), which occurs when repetitive overhead motion pinches a vein near the collarbone and causes a blood clot. A second surgery to treat TOS removed Wheeler's rib and sidelined him for another eight months.
At the very least, Wheeler got a souvenir from the ordeal. Wheeler said he keeps the rib that surgeons removed in a closet in his house. He missed Opening Day 2026 but returned to the mound for the Phillies on April 25.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jalen Hurts joins Serena Williams, Chris Bosh among athletes who battled blood clots
