Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts was a notable absence during the Philadelphia Eagles’ visit to the White House on Monday as the team celebrated its NFL championship with President Trump.
The president praised the team while a sea of Eagles fans wearing green filled the White House lawn. The president called out members of the offensive and defensive lines, as well as the coach Nick Sirianni.
“We’ve seen a lot of great teams, but they don’t ever get to where you’ve already gotten. And you’re a young guy, coach. I’d like to be his manager right now. Pick up my little 10 percent for doing nothing,” Trump quipped.
“Let me just say, fly, Eagles fly!” he added.
The crowd, which included Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) and other members of the Pennsylvania delegation, cheered along. They sang the “Fly, Eagles Fly” fight song while the team emerged from the White House for the event.
Hurts and other players missed the event due to scheduling conflicts, NBC News and the Philadelphia Inquirer reported, citing a White House official.
Hurts’s absence from the event comes as Eagles running back Saquon Barkley has taken heat for spending time with Trump, after the pair were photographed at a golf outing in New Jersey over the weekend.
“lol some people are really upset cause I played golfed and flew to the White House with the PRESIDENT. Maybe I just respect the office, not a hard concept to understand,” Barkley said in a post on the social platform X.
“Just golfed with Obama not too long ago…and look forward to finishing my round with Trump! Now ya get out my mentions with all this politics and have [an] amazing day,” he added.
Trump on Monday noted he offered Barkley a ride on Air Force One over the weekend, saying “we loved being together” and praising the NFL star as “a great young guy and an incredible football player.”
Hurts “had a great season and a great game,” Trump said during the event, without acknowledging the quarterback’s absence. “Terrific guy and a terrific player.”
The Eagles in February beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl. Trump attended the game in New Orleans and picked the Chiefs to win, though he told Fox News in an interview beforehand he’s “a big fan of both teams.”
“I was there along with Taylor Swift, how did that work out?” Trump said Monday. The pop superstar is dating Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, and Swift endorsed former Vice President Kamala Harris over Trump in the 2024 race.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said last month that the Eagles “enthusiastically accepted” the invitation for a White House visit after their Super Bowl victory this year, a change from 2018, when Trump, during his first term, disinvited the team over its protests of the national anthem.
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