The Eagles confirmed they have had discussions with the White House about a visit with President Donald Trump. The team has made no decision.
“We have been in contact with White House representatives and are currently discussing the logistics of an upcoming visit to Washington,” the Eagles said, via Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia. “We are honored to receive this invitation and view this not only as an opportunity to be recognized for our on-field achievements, but also as an opportunity to engage in productive dialogue with the leaders of our country.”
Several Eagles, including Malcolm Jenkins, Chris Long and Torrey Smith, already have said they would not visit the White House. Long and LeGarrette Blount were among Patriots players to skip the trip with the Patriots last April.
Eagles owner Jeff Lurie donated money to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, and according to the New York Times, Lurie had strong words for President Trump during an October league meeting while discussing the national anthem protests by NFL players.
Nonetheless, it appears the White House has extended an invitation.
“We have been in conversations with the Eagles about timing and are working with them to make it happen,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, via the Times. “We hope to have something finalized in the next couple of weeks.”
The question now is whether the Eagles will accept. The fact that the team added “to engage in productive dialogue with the leaders of our country” to its statement indicates that maybe the Eagles are seeking something more than a photo op.