Remember in 2018, the Philadelphia Eagles were riding high after their Super Bowl win, but their White House celebration never happened? Yes! Things turned tense when several players made it clear they weren’t visiting. The reason was obvious: they were standing up against the anthem protests shaking the NFL. At that time, President Trump, still in his first term, wasn’t having it. He had already been blasting players who knelt during the anthem to protest racial injustice. So, he pulled the invite. On social media, the President claimed that the Eagles were at odds “with their President because he insists that they proudly stand for the National Anthem, hand on heart, in honor of the great men and women of our military and the people of our country.” Thankfully, after 7 years, this wasn’t the story as Jalen Hurts’ team made it to the Presidential visit.

On Monday, President Donald Trump finally welcomed the 2024 champion Eagles to the White House. It was a much different scene this time around, filled with smiles, handshakes, and a real sense of celebration. A total of 54 members of the Eagles’ organization attended the ceremony, including head coach Nick Sirianni, GM Howie Roseman, and CEO Jeffrey Lurie.

After celebrating the event, Lurie expressed his honor and excitement on behalf of the entire team on the team’s official Instagram account. He wrote: “Today, the Eagles were honored 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 the hundreds of fans that joined us on the South Lawn.”

In addition, Lurie also revealed some of the team’s activities during the visit. He highlighted that while in Washington, the team also made a powerful visit to Arlington National Cemetery, where they laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. For Lurie, it hit even closer to home, thinking about his father’s service as a U.S. Army captain during World War II. Reflecting on the day, he said it was a strong reminder of the values that have shaped their team-sacrifice, selflessness, and discipline.

No doubt, things definitely went well for Jalen Hurts’ Eagles, as they also received direct praise from the President. Trump said Philly has “turned out to be an incredible team, an incredible group.” He even talked about his attendance at the Super Bowl, taking a personal jab at Taylor Swift, saying, “I watched in person, I was there along with Taylor Swift. How did that work out?” Well, we all know that the pop icon officially expressed her stance on not voting for Trump in the elections. Perhaps, that’s the reason why Trump took this moment to call her out.

Nevertheless, Jeffrey Lurie’s team had its moment together, but there were some notable absences, including Jalen Hurts, that drew some sparks on social media.

Why did Jalen Hurts and others skip the White House visit?

Jalen Hurts, fresh off his Super Bowl MVP win, didn’t make the trip with his Eagles teammates to the White House. So, what was the reason? Well, officially, they’re calling it a “scheduling conflict,” but honestly, it feels a little more complicated. Just last week, when a reporter asked him on the red carpet if he planned to go, Hurts froze, gave a long “um,” and then just walked away without an answer. It was awkward, and said a lot without saying much at all.

Sure, the team and the White House say most players will still show up, but Jalen Hurts isn’t the only big name missing. Guys like AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith, Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Brandon Graham, Nolan Smith, Zack Baun, Nakobe Dean, CJ Gardner Johnson, Darius Slay, and Quinyon Mitchell all skipped too. Interestingly, the reason given for their absence was “scheduling conflicts” too. Now, even with the “scheduling conflict” explanation, you can’t help but wonder if this was really about politics, personal beliefs, or something way deeper than just a date on a calendar.

Nevertheless, Donald Trump still praised Jalen Hurts, calling him a “terrific guy and terrific player” who gave “one stellar performance after another” in the postseason. Although he may have missed it, his team is definitely expressing pride at the achievement!