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Eagles Stars Skip White House Celebration

Jalen Hurts wasn’t the only player from the Philadelphia Eagles to decline an invitation to celebrate the team’s Super Bowl victory at the White House. A total of 11 players chose not to attend the event held on April 28, 2025.

Following the Eagles’ visit, NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark reported the names of the players absent from the ceremony. Alongside Hurts, other notable absentees included A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Brandon Graham, Nolan Smith, Zack Baun, Nakobe Dean, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Darius Slay, and Quinyon Mitchell.

During the event, President Trump took the opportunity to commend the team, singling out running back Saquon Barkley, who had faced criticism for spending time with Trump prior to the White House visit. Trump also made a light-hearted remark regarding Taylor Swift following the Chiefs’ loss in the recent Super Bowl.

Hurts, 26, hinted at his decision to skip the event earlier, deflecting a reporter’s question about his attendance during a red carpet appearance at the TIME 100 Gala. His reluctance to discuss the matter suggested he may have been weighing his options, though the team had accepted the invitation to celebrate the victory officially.

Despite the mixed attendance, one player committed to the visit was Saquon Barkley, who played golf with Trump before traveling to the White House on Air Force One. Barkley responded to backlash on social media regarding his association with Trump, asserting his respect for the presidency regardless of personal opinions. “Maybe I just respect the office, not a hard concept to understand,” he tweeted.

On the day of the celebration, social media captured footage of vehicles arriving at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue as anticipation built for the event. However, reports emerged confirming that Jalen Hurts and several teammates would miss the trip. NBC News journalist Yamiche Alcindor relayed that a White House representative noted the players had ‘scheduling conflicts.’

Team owner Jeffrey Lurie previously indicated that attendance at the White House celebration was voluntary, allowing players to opt out if they felt uncomfortable with the political implications. “If you want to enjoy this, come along and we’ll have a great time and if you don’t, it is totally an optional thing,” he remarked, highlighting the team’s culture regarding such events.

Source
people.com