Several Philadelphia Eagles players were not at the White House ceremony with President Donald Trump on Monday.
A few hours before the event, NBC News White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor announced that Super Bowl MVP and quarterback Jalen Hurts, along with multiple unnamed players, would not attend.
After the ceremony ended late Monday afternoon, NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark released a list of Eagles players who were not at the ceremony. They included the following names:
- Jalen Hurts
- A.J. Brown
- DeVonta Smith
- Jalen Carter
- Jordan Davis
- Brandon Graham
- Nolan Smith
- Zack Baun
- Nakobe Dean
- CJ Gardner Johnson
- Darius Slay
- Quinyon Mitchell
These are the Eagles we did not see at the Super Bowl ceremonyJalen Hurts, AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith, Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Brandon Graham, Nolan Smith, Zack Baun, Nakobe Dean, CJ Gardner Johnson, Darius Slay, Quinyon Mitchell
Almost half of the Eagles starters were here pic.twitter.com/WFPQoOyzPX
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) April 28, 2025
The most notable Eagle to attend the ceremony was Saquon Barkley, who drew criticism after meeting with Trump at his golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey, and then flying back with the president to Washington, D.C. on Sunday, ahead of the team’s White House visit.
Barkley responded to the criticism on his X account Monday morning.
Complete coverage of the Philadelphia Eagles and their NFL rivals from NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Trump referred to Barkley as a “handsome guy” who he would not want to tackle during Monday’s ceremony. He also joked about the New York Giants trading him to the Eagles.
Last month, the Eagles “enthusiastically accepted” an invitation to the White House, an official confirmed with NBC10.
That news came amid rumors that the Eagles were going to turn down an offer, which had not been offered at the time. A source told NBC Sports Philadelphia that was not the case, however, and that the Eagles planned to go to the White House if President Trump invited them.
The team did not visit the White House after winning its first Super Bowl in franchise history in 2018. The White House rescinded the invitation the night before the scheduled June 2018 visit after what then-White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders called a “political stunt” by the Eagles. Instead of going to Washington, D.C., that day, the Eagles stayed in South Philadelphia and added an OTA practice.
