President Donald Trump holds a helmet as he poses with Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni and offensive tackle Lane Johnson. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
President Trump praised the Eagles during their White House visit on Monday for overcoming early-season struggles to bring the Lombardi Trophy back to Philly.
The big picture: Previous tension between the team and Trump has simmered — he called the Eagles “modern-day warriors” while celebrating their Super Bowl 59 win over Kansas City.
State of play: The event on the White House’s South Lawn remained cheerful and cordial despite the absence of several players, including quarterback Jalen Hurts.
- The White House said Hurts couldn’t make the event because of “scheduling conflicts,” NBC News’ White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor reports. Days earlier, a video of Hurts not responding to a question about visiting the White House went viral.
- Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley shrugged off criticism from some fans for playing golf with Trump on Sunday, saying he respects the president’s office.
Zoom in: Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni and offensive tackle Lane Johnson presented Trump with an Eagles helmet and a personalized No. 47 jersey.
- Trump lauded the organization as “an incredible group of champions,” singling out several players’ contributions and the “spirited” Sirianni for extracting the most out of his team.
What they’re saying: “Nick proved the doubters wrong,” Trump said.
- “We’re not done,” Johnson told the crowd. “We’re ready for another round.”
Several Pennsylvania Republican leaders also attended the ceremony, including Sen. Dave McCormick, Attorney General Dave Sunday and State Treasurer Stacy Garrity.
Flashback: The Eagles didn’t visit the White House after winning the Super Bowl in 2018.
