The Philadelphia Eagles ruffled more than a few feathers with their decision on whether to visit the White House and President Donald Trump following their Super Bowl victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
President Trump has been a polarizing figure in the world of sports since his first term, which began in early 2017, as several championship winning teams decided to forego the traditional White House visit in what were ostensibly protests of his policies and political positions.
The 2024-25 Eagles have joined the group of past abstainers, according to Steve Brenner of The U.S. Sun who reported that the franchise would not make the trip to the nation’s capital after capturing the second Lombardi Trophy in its history.
“A well-placed insider told The U.S. Sun that recent discussions between the players and the Eagles front office resulted in a ‘massive no’ when asked if they would accept an invitation to the nation’s capital,” Brenner wrote.
The website MediaBiasFactCheck.com rates The U.S. Sun as a politically “right-leaning” publication.
Eagles Refused Invitation to Trump White House Following 2017-18 Super Bowl Championship
GettyPhiladelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce was on the 2017-18 Super Bowl championship team.
The decision is in line with the Eagles’ previous choice not to visit the White House following their first title in 2017-18, when Trump was also serving as president.
Trump made comments at the time indicating why he believed the team declined the long-standing, annual invitation to the NFL’s champion.
“The Philadelphia Eagles are unable to come to the White House with their full team to be celebrated tomorrow,” Trump wrote in a statement, per USA Today. “They disagree 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.”
Quarterback Colin Kaepernick, then of the San Francisco 49ers, took a knee during the National Anthem in September 2016 in protest of police mistreatment of Black individuals across the country. His actions stirred public and political conflict among NFL fans and players alike, leading to several other players joining him in his actions of protest over the coming months and years.
It was to that movement that Trump referred in the comments he made about the Eagles approximately seven years ago.
Eagles May Face Similar Decision on White House Visit After Next Season
GettyPhiladelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley.
Ironically, Philadelphia could face the same dilemma next year that it is dealing with now due to how well the front office has built the team and how prepared the Eagles are to make yet another deep run in 2025-26.
Nearly the entire group of offensive starters remains under contract in Philly next season, save for offensive lineman Mekhi Becton. A handful of meaningful names on the defensive side of the football could depart — including Zack Baun, Josh Sweat, Brandon Graham and Milton Williams.
However, a salary cap spike of between $22-$26 million across the league that will go into effect ahead of free agency should help the Eagles meaningfully by bumping their 2025 space up to between $35-$40 million.
Fans should also expect Philadelphia to restructure some contracts, pushing money off into future years to clear room in the immediate to continue pressing during the franchise’s current Super Bowl window.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Eagles Make Controversial Call on White House Visit After Super Bowl Win: Report appeared first on Heavy Sports.