Chiefs White House Visit 2023: Joe Biden, Mark Donovan and Andy Reid congratulate team

Kansas City Chiefs gamers and coaches from the 2022 Super Bowl championship workforce — together with former gamers JuJu Smith-Schuster, Frank Clark, Carlos Dunlap, Andrew Wylie, Chad Henne and Chris Lammons — and former coach Eric Bieniemy — joined President Joe Biden on the South Garden of the White Home in Washington on Monday afternoon to rejoice the workforce’s victory.

February’s 38-35 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles was really the workforce’s third NFL championship, however Monday was the primary time it had been ready to participate within the conventional White Home look for NFL champions.

When the workforce received its first Lombardi Trophy after the 1969 season, the custom had not but been established — and in the summertime after the workforce’s 2019 championship, the nation was deeply into the coronavirus pandemic; the White Home ceremony wasn’t held.

Even Monday’s occasion was marred by the absence of Chiefs’ CEO Clark Hunt, whose mom Norma Hunt died on Sunday. Staff president Mark Donovan stood in for his boss alongside head coach Andy Reid.

Photograph by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP through Getty Pictures

President Biden started the 16-minute ceremony by saying he’d should watch out about what he mentioned concerning the workforce that had defeated the Eagles. Himself a Pennsylvania native, Biden nonetheless blamed it on his spouse Jill.

“I married a Philly lady,” defined the President. “That explains rather a lot, doesn’t it? Thankfully, she is abroad proper now within the Center East.

“She’s a rabid Eagles fan — and the way in which the sport ended, I could be in for a tough night time. [I] nonetheless don’t even consider the Eagles participant acknowledged the holding penalty. However I determine if the Kelce household could make it work for Travis and Jason — [the] first two brothers to play in opposition to one another within the Tremendous Bowl — then there’s hope for the remainder of us.”

Biden acknowledged the Hunt’s absences.

“You understand, Norma is called the primary woman of soccer. She attended each single Tremendous Bowl in historical past — all 57 together with the previous one [that] her Chiefs received — and Jill and I ship our condolences to all the Hunt household, together with their son and present CEO of the Chiefs, Clark Hunt.”

Then the President turned to the Chiefs’ season.

“The Chiefs not solely maintain the title once more,” mentioned Biden, “they’re constructing a dynasty. Tremendous Bowl champs in 2020 and 2023, [they have] dominated the league with 64 wins within the final 5 years — the very best report within the NFL. Then one way or the other final summer season, individuals nonetheless counted you guys out.

“However you saved the religion. You overcame accidents, dominating the common season 14-3. Within the playoffs, you beat the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Cincinnati Bengals — avenging final 12 months’s AFC championship sport — after which with 200 million individuals watching, you had one other thrilling sport: you beat the Eagles, turning into the Tremendous Bowl champs once more.”

Biden acknowledged quarterback Patrick Mahomes, calling him “one of many biggest quarterbacks of his era — and I predict of any era.” He referred to as tight finish Travis Kelce “top-of-the-line tight ends ever” and referred to Reid’s accomplishment of successful greater than 100 video games with two completely different groups.

“They’ve referred to as him a beacon of offensive brilliance — a fantastic thoughts,” mentioned Biden of Reid. “The man provides full that means [to] the phrase ‘coach,’ as a result of he makes you consider in your self.”

Then he returned to themes that Reid typically addresses in his personal public remarks.

“You’re displaying the facility of one of the elusive issues in world: unity,” noticed the President. “When individuals from completely different backgrounds, every [with] their very own personalities, work collectively as one workforce, you play along with a definite fashion — in fixed movement — with the actual pleasure of the sport and love for one another [and] a fantastic metropolis you signify.

“And from that unity, you attempt to convey out the very best in yourselves and one another. In truth, I’ve heard how even after the wins, Patrick and people gamers go as much as Coach Reid and ask him, ‘How might we do higher?’ That’s fairly unbelievable.”

“That’s fairly unbelievable for everybody watching — particularly our kids. That’s the facility of this workforce: the facility of sports activities. And I would add [that] it’s the facility of this nation. It’s the facility to remind us who we’re as Individuals. We’re america of America. There’s nothing — nothing! — past our capability after we do it collectively. Similar to these guys behind me.

“Of us, congratulations to the Tremendous Bowl champs: the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs — and good luck subsequent season.”

Photograph by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP through Getty Pictures

Donovan expanded upon Biden’s remarks.

“The boys who stand behind me are simply exceptional examples of the American spirit,” mentioned the workforce president. “Not as a result of they received loads of soccer video games, [but] as a result of they exhibited the qualities that result in success.

“First, they work collectively. This season was by no means about one particular person. It was a few group of males [who had] one another’s again, coming collectively to perform one thing particular.

“Second, they overcame adversity — from a totally retooled roster with loads of younger gamers to the damage to our star quarterback. These gamers persevered all season lengthy.

“Third, they believed in themselves. When the media consultants and the NFL draftniks mentioned that possibly the Chiefs’ run was over — [that] possibly the division was simply too robust — the fellows behind me proved the naysayers [were] fallacious.

“Lastly, we’re all notably happy with how they united our neighborhood. Because the President mentioned, sports activities has the facility to try this. We’re proud that they united Chiefs Kingdom — a fan base that has confirmed their status as essentially the most passionate in all of soccer.”

Donovan then thanked Hunt and common supervisor Brett Veach earlier than bringing Reid to the rostrum.

Photograph by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP through Getty Pictures

“I’ll inform you what. We’re fired as much as be right here as a soccer workforce,” exclaimed the top coach. “President Biden — [and] your workers — we thanks from the underside of our hearts for inviting us to the White Home.”

Then there was a collection of sharp, loud cracks. Within the second, they seemed like gunfire — however they in all probability represented digital noise from the sound system. Clearly distracted by the noise, it took Reid a second to get again into kind.

“No person believed [in] us earlier than,” he lastly recalled of the season. “And I’m certain it’s going to be that very same approach this time — [until] we come out and show them fallacious.

“You — the Chiefs Kingdom and town of Kansas Metropolis — we admire all of the assist that you simply give us, week-in and week-out. It’s on the street. It’s at dwelling. You’re the very best followers within the enterprise. We love you. We admire you. We certain admire our assist right here, too.

“I’m proud to be the top coach of the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, man.”

Photograph by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Pictures

Then it was as much as Mahomes and Kelce to current a Chiefs No. 46 jersey to the President. As they walked again to the risers the place their teammates stood, Kelce stepped as much as the microphone.

“So I’ve been ready for this,“ started the tight finish.

However Mahomes took him by the arm and shortly led him away.

“Sorry,” he mentioned — because the viewers laughed.

It was all a part of the playful spirit the workforce had been exhibiting all day.

The previous gamers and coaches went again to their new groups — and generally to their houses, ready for his or her subsequent NFL alternative. The present gamers and coaches bought on a airplane to return to Kansas Metropolis. On Tuesday, they may start the ultimate days of the Section 3 OTA classes.

It’s simply the following step in what they hope might be a return to the White Home in 2024.