When the Philadelphia Eagles last won the Super Bowl, defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 52, the team later faced some controversy when some players said they would not visit the White House to celebrate with President Donald Trump.
That was in 2018, after Trump had criticized NFL players who kneeled or raised their fists during the national anthem to protest racial injustice. Some Eagles players reportedly cited that stance as a reason to decline joining Trump at the White House.
As a result, Trump eventually canceled his invitation to the Eagles, saying “the 1,000 fans planning to attend the event deserve better” than only some of the team visiting.
Seven years later, Trump is back in the White House and the Eagles have won another Super Bowl championship. So will there be a repeat of tensions and declined invitations?
Asked about a possible White House visit on Saturday before Super Bowl LIX, Eagles team owner Jeffrey Lurie didn’t comment. He responded, “I just want to win on Sunday.”
The Eagles turned down a visit to Donald Trump’s White House after winning the Super Bowl in 2018.
When FOS asked Eagles owner Jeff Lurie if his team would attend this time, he said:
“I just want to win Sunday.” pic.twitter.com/DqEKN23sO2
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) February 10, 2025
Lurie got his wish with the Eagles defeating the Kansas City Chiefs decisively, 40-22. Now the team faces a decision with a likely invitation from President Trump to the White House.
Four players on the 2024 Super Bowl champions remain from that 2017 Eagles team. One of them is offensive lineman Lane Johnson, a 12-year veteran and team captain. According to him, the team will vote on whether or not to go to the White House.
“I’d be honored to go, regardless of who the president is, but we’ll see,” Johnson told Sportico’s Eric Jackson. “It’s ultimately a team decision. I’ll do what’s best for the team.”
Defensive end Josh Sweat, who had 2.5 sacks in Super Bowl 59, was also asked about the possibility of a White House visit and followed Lurie’s approach of focusing on more immediate concerns.
“It’s a great honor, but I’m looking forward to this [championship] parade more than anything,” Sweat said to Sportico.
There’s also a possibility that Trump won’t extend an invitation because he reportedly holds a grudge against the Eagles over what happened in 2018.
“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,” Trump said in a statement seven years ago.
That grudge has extended to the city of Philadelphia, which Trump disparaged in his 2020 presidential debate with Joe Biden, Politico reported.
“Bad things happen in Philadelphia, bad things,” Trump said at the time.
Last week, President Trump implied that he was rooting for the Chiefs to win.
“I don’t wanna say,” he responded when asked who he wanted to win. “But there’s a certain quarterback that seems to be a pretty good winner.”
