The Philadelphia Eagles captured their second Super Bowl title by throttling the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in Super Bowl 59. The Eagles took it to the back-to-back champs in every facet of the game and emphatically declared themselves the best team in the NFL.
A long-standing tradition is for the Super Bowl-winning team to be invited to visit the White House and meet the current president. Eagles captain Lane Johnson recently spoke about whether or not his team will visit 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Lane Johnson Says Eagles Visit To White House Is a Team Vote
Jimmy Carter began the tradition of the president inviting championship teams to the White House when he brought in the 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers. The team gifted President Carter with a terrible towel, and the Super Bowl champion has gone to the White House nearly every year since.
The 2024 Eagles could be one of the few teams that don’t make a trip to the nation’s capital, but it will be left up to a team vote according to Johnson. The right tackle recently spoke to Sportico saying, “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.”
Prior to the game, owner Jeffrey Lurie was asked if the team would visit the White House and he dodged the question, saying, “I just want to win Sunday.”
The 2017 Eagles were also invited to the White House after defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 52. However, the invitation was rescinded after many players backed out of the planned visit. Malcolm Jenkins and Chris Long led the group of players that opposed then-President Trump’s stance on kneeling for the national anthem.
The President responded with a statement, “The Philadelphia Eagles are unable to come to the White House with their full team to be celebrated tomorrow. 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.
“The Eagles wanted to send a smaller delegation, but the 1,000 fans planning to attend the event deserve better.”
President Trump was in attendance for Super Bowl 59, and before the game, Jalen Hurts was asked for his thoughts, “He’s welcome to do whatever he wants.” When asked if there’s any added pressure when playing in front of the president, he simply replied, “No.”
Johnson, Brandon Graham, Jake Elliott, and Rick Lovato are the four holdovers from the 2017 team. It remains to be seen if they will get a chance to visit the White House.