Washington, D.C. — The Philadelphia Eagles rolled into the White House on April 28, 2025, to celebrate their Super Bowl LIX triumph, a 40-22 rout of the Kansas City Chiefs. But the visit, meant to be a unifying nod to gridiron glory, revealed a team split in its approach. Star quarterback Jalen Hurts, the Super Bowl MVP, was a no-show, while running back Saquon Barkley soaked up the spotlight, having golfed with President Donald Trump the day before. Trump, never one to miss a moment, dished out praise—and a few jabs—during a lively South Lawn ceremony.
About 54 Eagles, including coaches and staff, made the trip. Owner Jeffrey Lurie, head coach Nick Sirianni, and general manager Howie Roseman stood front and center. Players like offensive lineman Lane Johnson, safety Reed Blankenship, and Barkley flanked Trump as he spoke. But Hurts, wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, and most of the defense—including Jalen Carter, Zack Baun, and Darius Slay—were absent. The White House chalked it up to “scheduling conflicts,” though Hurts had dodged questions about attending days earlier at a New York gala, offering only a mumbled “um” before walking off.
Barkley, by contrast, leaned in. On April 27, he was spotted at Trump’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, chatting as they stepped off Marine One. They later boarded Air Force One together, bound for D.C. Photos surfaced of Barkley at a table with Trump, “Make America Great Again” hats scattered around. Facing online backlash, Barkley fired back on social media: “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. Just golfed with Obama not too long ago…and look forward to finishing my round with Trump!”
Trump, speaking for about 15 minutes, kept the crowd chuckling. He called Barkley “a handsome guy” and “an incredible football player,” crediting his “historic season” behind a bruising offensive line. He took a swipe at the New York Giants, Barkley’s former team, saying he’d warned them, “Do anything you have to, but don’t lose Saquon.” The Giants let him walk in 2024 free agency, and Trump crowed, “I called that one.” He even weighed in on the Eagles’ famed “tush push” play, urging the NFL not to ban it: “I hope they keep that play, coach. It’s sort of exciting and different.”
Hurts got a nod from Trump, who called him a “terrific guy and terrific player” with “one stellar performance after another.” But the quarterback’s absence hung over the event. The Eagles’ 2018 White House visit, after their first Super Bowl win, was canceled when Trump, in his first term, bristled at players’ plans to send a smaller group amid tensions over national anthem protests. Back then, Trump falsely claimed the Eagles knelt during the anthem, uninviting the team. Lurie, on April 1, 2025, called this year’s visit a “time-honored tradition” but stressed it was “optional.” He noted the 2018 “special circumstances” were different, insisting players could choose without pressure.
The ceremony wasn’t all serious. Trump invited Eagles security chief Dom DiSandro to the podium, calling him “sort of a legend.” DiSandro, in a checkered jacket and Kangol hat, kept it short: “We’re honored to be here. Thank you, President Trump.” Sirianni and Johnson gifted Trump a midnight green No. 47 jersey and a helmet signed by the team, with “M.A.G.A” scrawled in silver marker between signatures. Trump, grinning, promised the group a tour of the Oval Office and “a terrific present.”
For the Eagles who attended, it was a chance to bask in their championship glow. Roughly 20 players, including offensive linemen Landon Dickerson, Jordan Mailata, and Cam Jurgens, plus defensive back Cooper DeJean, stood behind Trump. Absent were defensive stalwarts like Brandon Graham, Jordan Davis, and Nakobe Dean. The visit marked the Eagles’ first White House celebration since their 2018 snub, and only the second NFL team to visit Trump’s White House, after the 2017 New England Patriots.
The event wrapped with a tour and a menu that remained under wraps—unlike past visits where teams munched on everything from McDonald’s to gourmet sliders. For the Eagles, it was a day of mixed signals: a team divided, a running back embracing the moment, and a president happy to hold court.