Jalen Hurts Dodges White House Question as Eagles Prep for Super Bowl Celebration

The Philadelphia Eagles are gearing up for a major moment off the field: a trip to the White House to celebrate their Super Bowl LIX victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. President Donald Trump extended the invitation, and the team reportedly jumped at the chance to take part in this classic championship tradition.

But not every Eagle is squawking about the opportunity. Star quarterback Jalen Hurts, when approached on the red carpet at the 2025 TIME100 gala in New York, was asked if he’d be attending the White House visit set for April 28. His response? Just "Um," followed by a strategic glance around—and then silence as the interview quickly wrapped.

This marks a different tone from the team’s 2018 Super Bowl win, when the Eagles skipped the White House after a public dustup with then-President Trump over players’ national anthem protests. Trump ended up rescinding that invite altogether, proving that sometimes it’s not just the football that gets punted.

Fast forward to this year, and the Eagles’ front office is singing a different tune. Team owner Jeffrey Lurie called the White House visit a "time-honored tradition" and said the squad is genuinely looking forward to it. Head coach Nick Sirianni echoed the excitement, describing the visit as an "honor" and something he’s wanted since childhood. He said, "Teams that have been able to win championships have been doing that for a long time, and I'm really honored to go and really excited to go."

Trump, who’s no stranger to sporting events (and, frankly, no stranger to the headlines), was in New Orleans for the big game and is now set to host the victorious Birds in D.C. next week—at least, most of them.