As Congress turns its attention to blood clots, NBCA calls for action that protects every American — not just elite athletes

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Blood Clot Alliance (NBCA) today applauded Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) for sending a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell demanding answers about the league's handling of Jalen Hurts's blood clots and calling for transparent, standardized protocols for the detection, prevention, and treatment of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) across all NFL teams. At the same time, NBCA is calling on Congress to seize this moment of national attention and fund a comprehensive blood clot education and awareness program for all Americans.

"Senator Blunt Rochester is asking exactly the right questions, and she deserves answers," said Leslie Lake, President of the National Blood Clot Alliance and a pulmonary embolism survivor. "Blood clots are not a judgment call — they are a medical emergency. I know that firsthand. The NFL has recognized this for concussions for nearly two decades. It is long past time for the same standard to apply to DVT and PE."

NBCA has stood alongside Senator Blunt Rochester for several years working to advance national blood clot legislation — legislation that has yet to receive the congressional support it deserves. The organization has long called for standardized VTE protocols in high-risk settings, including elite athletics, where prolonged immobility, long-haul travel, and physical trauma create significant clot risk. NBCA urges the NFL to work with independent hematologists and medical experts to develop and implement a league-wide return-to-participation protocol for players diagnosed with or suspected of having blood clots.

But NBCA's call today extends far beyond the NFL.

"Nearly 900,000 Americans are affected by blood clots every year. One hundred thousand die. Those are not statistics — those are people who deserved the same chance I got. Nobody in this country should be dying from blood clots. It is unacceptable, and Congress has the power to change it," Lake continued.

NBCA is urging Congress to fund a national blood clot education and awareness program that brings life-saving information about the signs, symptoms, risk factors, and treatment of DVT and PE to every American. The Jalen Hurts situation has placed blood clots at the center of a national conversation. Congress has a rare and urgent opportunity to turn that conversation into action.

"We are tired of waiting for Congress to act while 100,000 Americans die from blood clots every year — mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, neighbors. People who deserved better," Lake said. "We have stood alongside Senator Blunt Rochester for years and we are calling on her colleagues to join her. Fund a national awareness program. Pass meaningful legislation. Save lives. The moment is now — and frankly, it is long overdue. Congress has the information, the platform, and the opportunity to act. Choosing not to act is itself a choice — and the consequence of that choice will be measured in thousands of preventable deaths. That will be on Congress."

NBCA stands ready to serve as a clinical and policy resource as Congress pursues accountability and considers next steps.

For information about blood clot prevention, symptoms, and treatment, visit stoptheclot.org.

The National Blood Clot Alliance (NBCA) is a nonprofit patient advocacy organization dedicated to preventing death and disability from blood clots. Founded in 2003, NBCA educates patients, healthcare professionals, and policymakers about venous thromboembolism (VTE) — including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE).

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SOURCE National Blood Clot Alliance