Why a surprise blood clot diagnosis is sidelining one of the NFL's biggest stars | October 21, 2026

Summary

National Unity Day

Host Coy Wire noted that people wearing orange are promoting kindness, acceptance, inclusion, and support. He urged viewers to reject bullying.

Orionid Meteor Shower

The Orionid meteor shower was expected to peak between midnight and 2 a.m. It typically produces 10–20 meteors per hour, though the bright Moon could hide fainter ones.

The meteors are debris from Halley’s Comet. Earth also passes through the comet’s debris in May, creating the Eta Aquarids. Halley’s Comet is expected to return around 2061.

Jalen Hurts’s Blood-Clot Diagnosis

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was reported to have deep vein thrombosis and clots in both lungs. A clot can travel from a deep vein to the lungs and cause a potentially fatal pulmonary embolism.

Treatment commonly involves blood thinners, which increase bleeding risks and make contact sports unsafe during treatment. Symptoms may include unexplained swelling, pain, tenderness, warmth, or skin discoloration. Advice to reduce risk included walking during long trips, maintaining a healthy weight, and not smoking.

The report cited an estimated 900,000 cases and 60,000–100,000 deaths annually in the United States.

Seal Rescue in the Salish Sea

A feature showed SR3, a marine-animal hospital in the Pacific Northwest, caring for seals and other wildlife. Staff rehabilitate injured or abandoned seal pups, gradually teach them to eat fish, and prepare them for release. One seal, Furtada, returned to the wild after 65 days of care.

The segment also highlighted pressures on the Salish Sea ecosystem, including human activity and climate change. A quiz explained that harbor seals’ muscles contain abundant myoglobin, which stores oxygen.

Monarch Butterfly Exhibition

New York’s American Museum of Natural History opened Journey of the Monarchs, an exhibition about the butterflies’ migration of roughly 3,000 miles from the United States and Canada to Mexico. It includes illustrations by cartoonist and environmentalist Peter Cooper and a vivarium with more than 80 butterfly species.

Wednesday Word

The program congratulated its Wednesday Word winners for suggesting “erudite,” meaning learned or demonstrating deep knowledge.

Presenters and Contributors

• Coy Wire — Host
• Meg Tirrell — Medical report
• SR3 rehabilitation staff — Featured in the seal-care report; not individually identified
• Peter Cooper — Artist whose illustrations appear in the monarch exhibition