President Donald Trump hosted Super Bowl champions Philadelphia Eagles at the White House on Monday, but several players – including quarterback Jalen Hurts – skipped the celebration.
The Eagles declined a visit to the White House when they won in 2018 but attended the event this year, following their 40-22 victory over Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
Hurts and other players cited scheduling conflicts as the reasons for their absences, according to a White House official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Trump called Hurts a “terrific guy and terrific player” who turned in “one stellar performance after another” in helping the Eagles to a 14-3 regular season and their Super Bowl run.
“The Eagles have turned out to be an incredible team, an incredible group,” Trump said.
In his first term, Trump invited and then cancelled a celebration for the Eagles, instead throwing his own brief “Celebration of America” after it became clear most players weren’t going to show up.
Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson, right, and head coach Nick Sirianni, left, with President Donald Trump
Asked by a reporter on the red carpet of the Time magazine gala last week whether he would take part in the White House visit, Hurts responded with an awkward “um” and long silence before walking away.
Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley visited Trump over the weekend at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, and caught a ride with the president to Washington on Air Force One and then to the White House on Marine One.
The best of the action from Super Bowl 59 as the Kansas City Chiefs took on the Philadelphia Eagles in New Orleans
“He loved it,” Trump said of Barkley’s short flight on the presidential airplane. “He’s a great young guy and an incredible football player. Saquon had a season for the ages, running behind the most powerful offensive line in the NFL.
Barkley, meanwhile, pushed back on social media criticism earlier Monday for spending time with Trump. He noted that he has golfed with former President Barack Obama, a Democrat.
“Maybe I just respect the office, not a hard concept to understand,” Barkley posted on X.
Barkley ran away with the Offensive Player of the Year award this past season after rushing for 2,005 yards, eighth-best in NFL history. It was his first season with the Eagles.
Trump attended the Eagles’ decisive Super Bowl victory in New Orleans over the Kansas City Chiefs. He predicted ahead of the game the Chiefs would win and offered lavish praise for their quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said about the visit: “Today, the Eagles were honoured to participate in the long-standing tradition of visiting the White House to celebrate our victory in Super Bowl LIX.
“We are grateful for the hospitality we were extended and appreciate the opportunity to celebrate this special team alongside hundreds of fans that joined us on the South Lawn.”
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