Eagles Open to White House Visit After Super Bowl LIX Win

PHILADELPHIA, PA — The Philadelphia Eagles are enthusiastic about the prospect of visiting the White House to celebrate their Super Bowl LIX victory, a team source confirmed on Monday following speculation on social media that the team had declined an invitation.

According to the source, the Eagles have not yet received an official invitation but stated, “We would be honored to visit the White House. It’s one of the things we had looked forward to doing and we look forward to receiving the invitation.”

The Eagles triumphed over the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this month in a decisive win, securing the franchise’s second Super Bowl title. In 2018, when the Eagles won their first championship, they chose not to visit the White House during Donald Trump’s presidency, leading to a highly publicized fallout.

At that time, Trump criticized the team for purportedly disrespecting the National Anthem and subsequently rescinded the invitation after alleging that only a handful of players intended to attend. This decision mirrored the Golden State Warriors‘ refusal to visit Trump after their 2017 NBA championship.

The atmosphere regarding such visits has shifted under President Joe Biden, who has welcomed numerous championship teams without engaging in contentious exchanges with those who opted out. Eagles offensive lineman Lane Johnson indicated a potential trip would be determined by a team vote. “I’d be honored to go, regardless of who the president is, but we’ll see. It’s ultimately a team decision. I’ll do what’s best for the team,” he expressed.

Head coach Nick Sirianni, focusing on celebrating the recent victory in New Orleans and the subsequent parade in Philadelphia, mentioned that the prospect of a White House visit was not a priority. “We’ll see as we go. We’re gonna enjoy this tonight and we’ll enjoy it tomorrow and we’ll enjoy it the next day,” Sirianni said.

A different sentiment was conveyed by a source who stated the team is prepared to accept the invitation from Trump if it arrives. The contrasting histories of visits during recent Republican and Democratic administrations reflect a broader trend in the contentious political climate affecting sports.

The Eagles’ team source reiterated their excitement, emphasizing their eagerness to celebrate in the nation’s capital. “It’s one of those things we had looked forward to doing and we look forward to receiving the invitation,” the source reiterated. The team’s decision will ultimately rely on an invitation from the White House.