Jalen Hurts' blood clots reach his lungs, the Colts fire Chris Ballard, and Cleveland goes to its bullpen to save the ALCS

New Blood clots reach Jalen Hurts' lungs, and reports say the Eagles QB will miss the season

Philadelphia EaglesJalen Hurts, Eagles QB

Philadelphia's season took a hard turn on Monday. Jalen Hurts is expected to miss the rest of the year after doctors found multiple blood clots in his lungs, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Those sources said treatment with blood thinners should keep him out for at least three months.

The Eagles and Hurts' agent, Nicole Lynn, confirmed the diagnosis in a joint statement: deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli, meaning a clot traveled from his leg to his lungs, according to ESPN. The statement said Hurts is clinically stable and is expected to make a full recovery with no long-term effects, but he cannot take part in football activities while he is on the medication.

ESPN laid out how it got here. Hurts took a cleat to the calf against the Rams on Oct. 4, an ultrasound in London found a superficial clot on Oct. 10, and team and local doctors cleared him to play against Jacksonville two days later. A follow-up scan last Wednesday showed the clot had moved, he was ruled out for Sunday and the team put him on injured reserve on Saturday.

Tanner McKee started Sunday's 25-14 home loss to Carolina, which dropped Philadelphia to 2-4. Hurts had never missed more than two games in a season as the starter, and he was the MVP of the Eagles' Super Bowl LIX win over Kansas City, ESPN noted.

Sources: ESPN (Adam Schefter, Tim McManus); NFL Network (Ian Rapoport, via ESPN); Eagles and Nicole Lynn statement (via ESPN).

New Colts fire general manager Chris Ballard a day after losing to the Titans

Indianapolis Colts

Indianapolis fired Chris Ballard on Monday morning, one day after fans chanted for his job during a 26-20 home loss to a Tennessee team that had not won all season, ESPN's Stephen Holder reported. The Colts blew a 13-point halftime lead in that game.

Assistant general manager Ed Dodds will run the personnel department for the rest of the season, and coach Shane Steichen and his staff will now report to ownership, according to ESPN. Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon said in a statement that the club's standard is to compete for championships, that she chose not to wait until the offseason, and that a full search for a new GM will follow.

Ballard was in his 10th season and the last year of his contract. He leaves with a 72-82-1 record, two playoff trips and one playoff win, and the Colts never won the AFC South on his watch, ESPN reported. Indianapolis is 2-4 and plays at Minnesota next, and Steichen said Daniel Jones will stay the starting quarterback despite nine turnovers this season, ESPN reported. Cornerback Sauce Gardner, acquired from the Jets for two first-round picks, has a mild calf strain and is considered week-to-week, NFL Network's Rapoport reported, according to ESPN.

Sources: ESPN (Stephen Holder); Colts statement (via ESPN); NFL Network (Ian Rapoport, via ESPN).

Tonight Cleveland turns to its bullpen with the season on the line in Game 6

Tampa Bay RaysCleveland Guardians

The Guardians will open Game 6 tonight with reliever Shawn Armstrong rather than bring ace Gavin Williams back on three days' rest, ESPN's Jesse Rogers reported. Armstrong, 36, opened Game 4 with a scoreless inning, has not allowed a run in 7⅔ postseason innings and did not start a game during the regular season, according to ESPN.

The plan is to have Williams on full rest for a Game 7 on Tuesday if Cleveland can force one, ESPN reported. The staff is stretched: rookie Parker Messick has not pitched deep into any of his playoff starts, and Williams has carried a heavy load this October, including closing out Game 4 of the Division Series against the White Sox.

Tampa Bay starts Freddy Peralta, who won Game 2, and leads the series 3-2. First pitch is 8 PM ET at Tropicana Field on TBS and truTV, according to ESPN's scoreboard. A Rays win sends them to the World Series against Milwaukee, which swept the Dodgers in the NLCS.

Sources: ESPN (Jesse Rogers); ESPN MLB scoreboard.

Tonight Monday night: Mike Evans is a game-time call as the unbeaten 49ers host Washington

San Francisco 49ersWashington CommandersBrock Purdy, 49ers QB

San Francisco (5-0) puts its perfect record on the line tonight against Washington (1-3-1) at Levi's Stadium, 8:15 PM ET on ESPN and ABC. Receiver Mike Evans, officially questionable with rib and Achilles issues, is a game-time decision, the San Jose Mercury News reported via ESPN's injury page, and ESPN's Adam Schefter said Monday that the 49ers are optimistic he plays. Nothing is final until inactives are posted about 90 minutes before kickoff.

For Washington, Stefon Diggs (hamstring) is still listed as questionable on ESPN's injury report. Quarterback Marcus Mariota and running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt are already ruled out, and general manager Adam Peters said cornerback Trey Amos is expected to come off injured reserve and play, according to ESPN's report citing The Athletic. Nick Bosa remains out for San Francisco.

Brock Purdy entered the week leading the NFL in QBR and touchdown passes, according to ESPN's Nick Wagoner. Washington, meanwhile, is still answering for the botched final sequence that left it with a 27-27 tie against the Giants in its last game, ESPN's John Keim reported. Catch up on the rest of Week 6 in our Hair of the Dog recap.

Sources: ESPN injury report (citing the San Jose Mercury News and The Athletic); ESPN (Adam Schefter, Nick Wagoner, John Keim); ESPN NFL scoreboard.

Tonight Every game left on Monday's board

Monday, Oct. 19 · NFL, MLB and WNBA

8:15 PM ETMNF · ESPN/ABC

WSH1-3-1

SF5-0

8:00 PM ETALCS G6 · TBS

CLESeries: 2

TBSeries: 3

8:00 PM ETFinals G2 · USA

ATLSeries: 0

GSSeries: 1

NHL

7:00 PM ETESPN+

ANA4-3-0

NYR6-3-1

7:00 PM ETESPN+

COL5-2-1

PHI1-6-3

7:30 PM ETESPN+

SJ4-3-1

TOR3-4-2

9:00 PM ETESPN+

PIT3-5-1

UTA6-3-0

All times ET. MLB and WNBA tiles show series wins. ALCS Game 6 is also on truTV; WNBA Finals Game 2 is also on CNBC, Peacock and E!. NHL records are W-L-OT. No NBA games tonight; the season opens Tuesday.

The other 13 Week 6 NFL games are final; the full Week 6 board is in this morning's brief. Times, networks, records and series standings are from ESPN's scoreboards.

Source: ESPN NFL, MLB, WNBA and NHL scoreboards.

Confirmed Josh Jacobs is off the commissioner's exempt list

Green Bay PackersJosh Jacobs, Packers RB

Green Bay running back Josh Jacobs came off the commissioner's exempt list on Monday after missing the first six games and could make his season debut this week, ESPN's Rob Demovsky reported. The Packers have had the league's weakest rushing attack without him, according to ESPN. Edge rusher Micah Parsons, recovering from a torn ACL, is still a few weeks from his first game of the season.

Source: ESPN (Rob Demovsky).

New NFL suspends Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson one game for spitting

Buffalo Bills

The league suspended Gardner-Johnson one game without pay for spitting toward Raiders players during Sunday's 33-30 win in Las Vegas, which also got him ejected shortly before halftime, ESPN's Nick Suss reported. Buffalo is on its bye this week, so barring an appeal he would miss the Week 8 game against Baltimore. Coach Joe Brady said the team will not add any punishment and that Gardner-Johnson remains a starter once he is eligible.

Source: ESPN (Nick Suss).

New Falcons sign Andy Dalton and release Cooper Rush

Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta announced Monday that it signed Dalton, the 16-year veteran the Eagles released on Oct. 9, and released Rush, who started the first two games of the season, according to ESPN. Starter Michael Penix Jr. played through a rib injury in Sunday's 31-23 loss to Chicago and said afterward that he came out of the game healthy, ESPN reported.

Source: ESPN (Marc Raimondi).

New Baker Mayfield returns to practice, but the Bucs will prepare for Jalon Daniels

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles said Mayfield, out since dislocating his right thumb in Week 3, is scheduled to practice Wednesday, but the 1-5 Bucs will prepare as if rookie Jalon Daniels makes a fourth straight start on Sunday against Carolina, ESPN's Jenna Laine reported. Sources told ESPN the deciding factor is how well Mayfield can grip and secure the ball.

Source: ESPN (Jenna Laine).

Update Warriors expect Stephen Curry to play in Wednesday's opener

Golden State WarriorsStephen Curry, Warriors G

Curry was a full participant in practice on Monday morning after tweaking his right ankle in Sunday's scrimmage, and Golden State expects him to be available Wednesday against the Lakers, ESPN's Anthony Slater reported. Center Kristaps Porzingis remains out indefinitely and will not travel, and guard Brandin Podziemski is questionable with lower back tightness, according to ESPN.

Source: ESPN (Anthony Slater).

Orioles and Athletics fill their top baseball jobs

Baltimore OriolesAthletics

Baltimore hired Cubs assistant GM Jared Banner as general manager to work alongside president of baseball operations Mike Elias, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported. The Orioles finished 79-82. The Athletics hired Red Sox assistant GM Taylor Smith as president of baseball operations, two months after saying David Forst would not return, according to ESPN. MLB also set this winter's qualifying offer at $23.15 million, up 5.1% from last year, ESPN reported.

Sources: ESPN (Jeff Passan); ESPN.

DeBoer stands by his offensive coordinator after two straight losses

Alabama Crimson Tide

Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said Monday he still believes in offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, ESPN's Alex Scarborough reported. The Crimson Tide had been scoring more than 40 points a game before averaging 13.5 in losses to Georgia and Tennessee, and Grubb was openly critical of the offense's recent play. Alabama hosts Texas A&M on Saturday.

Source: ESPN (Alex Scarborough).

Mavericks waive Dwight Powell after 12 seasons

Dallas Mavericks

Dallas waived the 35-year-old center on Monday, likely ending a run in which he played all but five of his 768 NBA games for the Mavericks, according to ESPN. The team already had a full set of 15 guaranteed contracts.

Source: ESPN.