February 9, 2025
Jalen Hurts And The Eagles Downplay Trump, Mahomes And Company Have Different Response
Hurts said of Trump, 'He's welcome to do what he wants.'
When asked about how the appearance of Donald Trump plays a part in how they approach Super Bowl 59, the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles had markedly different answers to that question. The Chiefs did themselves no favors, while the Eagles may have gained themselves more fans with their response.
According to Time Magazine, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said that it would be “cool” to play in front of Trump, remarking that “It’s always cool to be able to play in front of a sitting president, someone that is at the top position in our country.”
Mahomes’ most dependable weapon, tight end Travis Kelce, echoed the sentiments of his quarterback, saying that he considers it a “great honor” to play in front of a sitting president.
Kelce continued, “I think you know, no matter who the president is, I know I’m excited because it’s the biggest game of my life, you know, and having the president there — it’s the best country in the world — and that’s pretty cool.”
The Eagles players, led by their quarterback, Jalen Hurts, struck a different tone. After a reporter asked if Trump’s appearance added any additional pressure to the game, he wryly, but respectfully answered “No ma’am.”
He also said of Trump, “He’s welcome to do what he wants.”
Hurts’ offensive tackle, Jordan Mailata, tasked with protecting Hurts from the Chiefs pass rush on the football field, took that role further during his availability on Feb. 4.
“That’s cool but Donald is not on that field. That’s cool but again that’s blocking out the noise.” Mailata said. “What am I going to do thinking about Donald Trump? How is that going to make me win the game?”
According to The Athletic, ahead of the game, less attention has gone to the rematch between Mahomes and Hurts, which was a spectacular and historical matchup between two of the NFL’s premier young Black quarterbacks.
Super Bowl 57 marked the first time two Black quarterbacks have squared off in the sport’s biggest game on the game’s biggest stage.
When asked about the difference in the two Super Bowl contests, Hurts acknowledged that, “It’s not mentioned as much now. It’s history again.”
Hurts continued, “You embrace the opportunity. Embrace that stage, knowing that torch you carry. I literally just got a text from someone that is a Black quarterback aspiring professionally, talking about us leading the way and paving the way for the young Black kings coming up, and that means a lot because I know someone — everybody — is always watching.”
“You want to showcase what we can do on the football field: throwing, running — whatever it takes to win football games,” Mahomes told The Athletic. “And you’ve seen that kind of already, given the push forward in the NFL, where I think almost half the starting quarterbacks are Black. And so, one big thing is, it showcases that if you give guys chances as coaches, quarterback, whatever it is — and in any profession, that we’re gonna go out there and execute at a very high level.”
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