NFL Teams to Decide on Charlie Kirk Commemorations for Week 2 Games
Following the death of Charlie Kirk, the NFL has decided to allow individual home teams to determine whether or not they will hold a moment of silence or other remembrance during their Week 2 games. The league itself held a moment of silent reflection during the Commanders-Packers pregame show on Thursday Night Football.
NFL's Decision and Rationale
The NFL addressed the situation, stating that while the league made the decision for the Thursday night game, the choice is now with the individual teams. “Last night’s moment was the league’s decision,” a league spokesman said. “It’s up to the clubs for this Sunday’s games.” The league provided context for their decisions, stating that moments of silence are often observed following events that "rise to a national level".
The league's statement further elaborated on past instances of remembrance, including school shootings, attacks on houses of worship, major international incidents like the Hamas attack on Israel, and weather-related incidents such as major hurricanes and fires. They also highlighted tributes to members of the NFL family, such as Damar Hamlin and the late Kobe Bryant.
Remembering Charlie Kirk in the Sports World
The pregame moment of silence at Lambeau Field during Thursday Night Football was the first league-wide acknowledgment of Kirk's death. The public address announcer stated, "The National Football League asks that you please join us in a moment of silent reflection following the murder of Charlie Kirk. The NFL condemns all violence in our communities. It will take all of us to stop hate."
Individual NFL players also shared their thoughts. Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart praised Kirk's contributions, while Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker thanked him for being a "strong witness to Christ." However, insensitive posts on social media also led to consequences, as demonstrated by the Carolina Panthers firing an employee.
The New York Yankees also held a moment of silence for Charlie Kirk before their game against the Tigers, marking one of the first public tributes within the sports world.
Team Decisions for Week 2
As of Friday evening, several home teams were still evaluating whether to hold any public remembrances for Kirk during their Week 2 games. One team mentioned conducting internal research before making a decision. The Arizona Cardinals, whose home is in Phoenix, the base of Kirk's Turning Point USA, are one team to watch.
NFL's Full Statement:
“Last night’s moment was the league’s decision. It’s up to the clubs for this Sunday’s games. 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.”
