The New England Patriots made the annual Super Bowl championship trip to the White House on Wednesday. A total of 68 players from the active roster, practice squad, and injured reserve list were invited.
Via CSN New England, 34 of the players went. Another 34 didn’t.
Not all players skipped for political reasons, but multiple Patriots made it clear that they opted not to attend due to issues with the administration. In the past, players have skipped the event for similar reasons, including for example former Ravens center Matt Birk, who chose not to go due to President Barack Obama’s support for Planned Parenthood.
Two years ago, 50 showed up for the White House visit following the team’s victory in Super Bowl XLIX.