Quarterback Jalen Hurts and several of his Philadelphia Eagles teammates are set to decline President Trump’s invitation to the White House due to “scheduling conflicts.”
The long-standing tradition involves U.S. sports teams visiting the White House to commemorate their championship wins. Recently, the Los Angeles Dodgers, led by Shohei Ohtani, who accepted an unusual demand from Trump, made the trip to D.C. to celebrate their World Series win.
In February, the Eagles secured their Super Bowl victory against the Kansas City Chiefs at the Superdome, with President Trump in attendance. However, despite being named the Super Bowl MVP, Hurts will not join the traditional White House visit, with scheduling issues given as the explanation.
Hurts, 26, had an impressive game, completing 221 passing yards and two touchdowns and leading the team with 72 rushing yards and a score. The White House confirmed that Hurts will skip the visit due to scheduling conflicts, and several other key Eagles players will join him in snubbing the meeting with Trump.
As the Eagles visit the nation’s capital, Hurts’ absence will likely draw attention, given the strong performance he displayed during the championship game.
The decision by Hurts and “other prominent Eagles” players to forego the White House visit follows Giants’ running back Saquon Barkley’s defensive reaction to criticism for his golf game with the divisive former President. His attempts at clarification on social media just fueled more mockery.
After the team’s resounding victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in February, several Eagles voiced opposition to attending the customary gathering with Trump present. When TIME inquired about his attendance plans, Hurts gave a dismissive off-camera glance and remained mum, an apparent silent statement on his stance toward the presidential event.
The current Eagles lineup seems to be taking a leaf out of their 2018 predecessors’ book, replicating their decision not to attend the White House under similar circumstances. Following their Super Bowl LII triumph against the New England Patriots, notable players like Chris Long, Malcolm Jenkins, and Torrey Smith expressed their refusal to go in protest of an NFL rule prohibiting kneeling during the national anthem.
The previous Eagles squad was notably uninvited after signaling that only a few members would make the trip to D. C.
With their second Lombardi Trophy in hand and a potential White House invite on the table, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie has indicated that players, including Hurts, will not be mandated to attend.
“Our culture is that these are optional things,” Lurie explained to the press. “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.
“This is really just an invitation from the White House. That’s all this is, and we’re not politicizing it in any way. Not for us.”
