NFL fans are furious after some teams opted not to honor Charlie Kirk on Sunday.
The league allowed teams to individually decide whether or not to honor Kirk following his assassination.
NFL teams were given the choice to honor Charlie Kirk before their games[/caption]
A few teams chose not to take that opportunity[/caption]
The Detroit Lions, Cincinnati Bengals, and Baltimore Ravens did not pay tribute to Kirk before their games.
The New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans, New Orleans Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys all held moments of silence for him.
The Green Bay Packers also held a moment of silence for Kirk ahead of their Thursday Night Football game.
Dallas, New York, and Tennessee all put a picture of Kirk on the jumbotron ahead of the game.
The Dolphins held a moment of silence alongside one for the victims of the 9/11 attacks.
The Steelers kept their flags at half-mast throughout the game.
Teams were not required to honor Kirk ahead of their games, according to a statement released by the NFL.
“Last night’s moment was the league’s decision. It’s up to the clubs for this Sunday’s games,” the statement read.
“There have been a variety of moments of silence and tributes in-stadium and on-air in all games or a game immediately following events that rise to a national level. Clubs also often hold moments following a tragic event that affects their community.
“There have been moments following school shootings or an attack on a house of worship such as the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018. There also have been moments following major international incidents such as Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023 and weather-related incidents such as major hurricanes and fires.
“This is in addition to honoring those in the NFL family from tributes to recently passed players or personnel, or a player such as Damar Hamlin in 2023.
“The NFL also honored before Super Bowl LIV NBA star Kobe Bryant and the other victims of the helicopter crash (Gianna Bryant, Sarah and Payton Chester, Christina Mauser, Ara Zobayan) and also Pro Football Hall of Famer Chris Doleman who passed that week.
“In just this calendar year: Lift Every Voice and Sing has been performed at league events since 2020 following the murder of George Floyd and the events of the summer of 2020, including last Thursday during the Kickoff game in Philadelphia. It is also performed before the Super Bowl.
“This summer before the Hall of Fame game in Canton, the league honored the victims and those impacted by the attack at 345 Park Avenue. During Week 18 games last season, the NFL honored the victims of the Bourbon Street terrorist attack.
“Also, that season the NFL held a moment to recognize those lost in the deadly crashes near Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia and also prior to the Vikings-Rams Wild Card game that was moved from LA to Arizona due to the wildfires.”
