Concerns are growing that Brisbane Broncos forward Corey Jensen may never return to the rugby league field after it emerged he could have died from a blood clot in his lung. The 32-year-old has been hospitalised for the past two weeks and has shed 10 kilograms following the life-threatening episode that occurred shortly after his team's victory over the Tigers on April 18.
Medical emergency
According to News Corp, Jensen has had approximately one litre of fluid drained from his lungs. This comes just nine months after he suffered a blood clot in his calf. The condition he experienced, known as a pulmonary embolism, involves a sudden blockage in one or more pulmonary arteries in the lungs. Jensen has since been placed on blood thinners. While he hopes to be ready to play by round 21, there are fears he may never take the field again.
Coach and teammates react
Broncos coach Michael Maguire commented on Jensen's recovery, stating: 'There's no timeline on it, but I know he's very keen to keep playing. Whilst that's burning then, we'll do everything we can to try and work out how we get him back out on the field when the time's right.'
Teammate Jack Gosiewski revealed the impact on the squad: 'He was apparently lucky to make it through that game with nothing seriously bad happening to him. He is down to 97kg. He has lost a fair bit of weight and they drained a lot of fluid out of his lungs.'
Return to training
Jensen returned to Broncos training on Tuesday, leaving his teammates stunned by his physical appearance. Maguire opened up about the difficult situation: 'It's one of those medical issues where they've got to really get all the information and try and work out where it came from, so then they can understand it. He's seeing the very best specialists and doctors, and he's had some really good care inside the hospital. He said to me that he's just so happy that he was at the hospital because the way they looked after him was exceptional.'
Jensen has played 153 NRL games across two clubs and was part of the Broncos' premiership-winning team in 2025.
