Philadelphia Eagles: Jalen Hurts among players to miss White House reception with President Donald Trump -

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30 April, Washington D.C

Jalen Hurts and 11 Eagles players skipped the White House visit with President Trump after their Super Bowl win.

Twelve Philadelphia Eagles players, including star quarterback Jalen Hurts, did not show up to a White House ceremony on Monday that President Donald Trump was hosting to celebrate the team’s Super Bowl LIX win.

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Among the prominent absentees were wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, defensive tackle Jordan Davis, and cornerback Darius Slay.

Despite Hurts’ absence, Trump praised the Super Bowl’s Most Valuable Player as a “terrific guy and terrific player”.

“[The] Eagles have turned out to be an incredible team, an incredible group,” he added.

Team owner Jeffrey Lurie made it clear that going to the event was optional, and thus every player could decide for himself. Running back Saquon Barkley, one of the few who did show up, stated that he made his decision because of respect for the office of the presidency, not as a political statement.

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In his congratulatory remarks, President Trump briefly acknowledged the team’s victory before moving on to a remark that drew on pop star Taylor Swift and the Kansas City Chiefs. This particular gesture ignited an online debate and re-ignited tensions between the sports and political worlds.

This visit was in stark contrast to the Eagles’ first scheduled White House visit in 2018, which was summarily canceled by President Trump based on controversy surrounding national anthem protests by NFL players. In this instance, Trump claimed the team of not supporting the anthem, while the Eagles protested that their players had not protested during games that season.

The Super Bowl champions’ visit reignited conversations around sports, politics, and personal expression — an increasingly common intersection in recent years.

The visit of the Super Bowl champions brought back discussion about sports, politics, and individual expression, a growing intersection in recent years.