Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni (left) and offensive tackle Lane Johnson (right) were present at the reception hosted by President Donald Trump.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts, along with several teammates from the Philadelphia Eagles, chose not to attend a White House celebration with US President Donald Trump honoring their Super Bowl win.
According to a White House official, Hurts, 26, and other Eagles cited “scheduling conflicts” as the reason for their absence.
Attendance for players was voluntary, and fewer than half of the Eagles roster participated in Monday’s ceremony.
Philadelphia defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in New Orleans in February.
Despite Hurts’ decision not to attend, President Trump described the Super Bowl MVP as a “terrific guy and terrific player.”
He went on to say, “[The] Eagles have turned out to be an incredible team, an incredible group.”
NBC reported that other notable absences included AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith, Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, and Brandon Graham.
In 2018, following their previous Super Bowl triumph, the Eagles’ planned visit to the White House was cancelled after the majority of players opted out.
At that time, debate continued regarding the national anthem protests initiated in 2016, though the team did not officially confirm this as the reason for their absence.
During his first term, President Trump was vocally critical, external of players who knelt during the anthem, opting instead to invite a group of Eagles fans to the event.
The tradition of championship sports teams visiting the White House dates back to the 19th century, though in recent decades some teams have chosen to use the occasion to voice their perspectives.
The Golden State Warriors were disinvited by President Trump after their 2017 NBA title, following comments by two-time MVP Stephen Curry expressing his reluctance to attend.
When the Warriors captured their third championship in four years the following season, the team was not invited to the White House.
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