Eagles Players Will Get to Choose If They Want to Attend White House Visit on June 5
On Tuesday, Eagles coach Doug Pederson accepted an invitation to the White House to celebrate the team's Super Bowl victory with President Donald Trump on June 5, but added that players will get to choose on their own if they want to attend.
Quarterback Carson Wentz said he doesn't view it as a political matter "whatsoever" and he "will be involved in going," according to Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
"For me, personally, if the team decides as a whole, most guys want to go or be a part of it, I'll be attending with them," Wentz said according to Berman. "I think it's just a cool way to receive the honor nationally and be recognized. I don't personally view it—I know some people do, everyone has their opinion on it—I don't view it as a political thing whatsoever."
The Eagles beat the Patriots 41-33 in Super Bowl LII for the team's first Super Bowl win in franchise history to earn the invite.
After the win, a number of players said they would boycott a potential visit.
Defensive end Chris Long said he planned to skip the trip this year, and he also skipped the visit last year when he was a member of the Patriots. Wide receiver Torrey Smith, who is no longer with the Eagles, and safety Malcolm Jenkins also announced they would boycott the trip.
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie called Trump's presidency "disastrous" in a meeting last year that was leaked to The New York Times last month.
Last year, about two dozen players on the Patriots skipped the White House visit.
