The Philadelphia Eagles ruffled more than a few feathers when they decided whether to visit the White House and President Donald Trump following their Super Bowl victory against the Kansas City Chiefs.
President Trump has been a divisive figure in the world of sports since his first term began in early 2017, when numerous championship-winning teams chose to skip the annual White House visit in apparent protest of his policies and political stances.
According to Steve Brenner of The U.S. Sun, the 2024-25 Eagles will not travel to the nation’s capital after winning their second Lombardi Trophy in franchise 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,” according to Brenner.
MediaBiasFactCheck.com classifies The Sun as a “right-leaning” publication.
Eagles Refused Invitation to Trump White House Following 2017-18 Super Bowl Championship
The decision is consistent with the Eagles’ previous decision not to visit the White House after their first title in 2017-18, when Trump was also president.
Trump stated at the time that he assumed the team had denied the long-standing, annual invitation to the NFL champion.
“The Philadelphia Eagles are unable to come to the White House with their entire team to be honored tomorrow,” Trump said in a statement, according to 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 to protest police abuse of Black people throughout the country. His acts sparked public and political outrage among NFL fans and players alike, prompting several additional players to join him in his protests over the next few months and years.
Trump linked to the movement in his comments on the Eagles seven years ago.
Eagles May Face Similar Decision on White House Visit After Next Season
Ironically, Philadelphia might have the same issue next year as it does now, given how effectively the front staff has built the squad and how prepared the Eagles are to make another deep run in 2025-26.
Except for offensive guard Mekhi Becton, nearly all of Philadelphia’s offensive starters are under contract for next season. Several key defensive players, including Zack Baun, Josh Sweat, Brandon Graham, and Milton Williams, could go.
However, a salary cap increase of between $22-$26 million throughout the league that will take effect prior to free agency should benefit the Eagles significantly by increasing their 2025 space to between $35 and $40 million.
Fans should also anticipate Philadelphia to restructure certain contracts, pushing money into future years to make room in the short term for the organization to continue pressing during its present Super Bowl window.
