Hurts among Eagles players to skip White House visit

Jalen Hurts and several Philadelphia Eagles team-mates players skipped a reception with US President Donald Trump at the White House to celebrate their Super Bowl victory.

Star quarterback Hurts, 26, and other players had "scheduling conflicts", a White House official said.

The invitation was optional for players to attend, and less than half the team showed up on Monday.

Philadelphia beat the the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in New Orleans in February.

Despite Hurts' absence, Trump praised the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player as a "terrific guy and terrific player".

"[The] Eagles have turned out to be an incredible team, an incredible group," he added.

American broadcaster NBC reported other players who did not attend included AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith, Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis and Brandon Graham.

In 2018, following their first Super Bowl victory, Philadelphia's White House visit was cancelled after most players decided to stay away.

A the time, there was still ongoing debate surrounding the kneeling protests which began in 2016, although the team never confirmed this was the reason for their absence.

Trump, serving his first term as president at the time. was highly critical, external of players who took the knee during the national anthem, so he instead invited a group of Eagles fans to attend.

Sports teams visiting the White House after winning a championship is a tradition that dates back to the 19th Century, but in the past decades some have used it to make a statement.

Golden State Warriors were disinvited by Trump following their NBA championship triumph in 2017, after two-time MVP Stephen Curry said he did not want to go.

The Warriors were not invited when they won their third title in four seasons a year later.