Most NFL Home Teams Opt to Honor Charlie Kirk Before Games

The sports world continued to recognize last week’s assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, with most NFL teams on Sunday memorializing him with a moment of silence before their games.

After the league left it up to individual teams playing at home this weekend to decide what to do regarding Kirk for Sunday’s games, most teams exercised that option. The Cowboys, Dolphins, Jets, Saints, Steelers, and Titans all recognized the late Kirk in varying ways in their early-afternoon Sunday games, primarily with pregame tributes, while the Bengals, Lions, and Ravens did not. 

In the late-afternoon window, the Chiefs and Cardinals did have tributes for Kirk, while the Colts did not. The Vikings, who played the Falcons on Sunday Night Football, chose not to.

Some of the recognitions were also combined with those for victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. 

Not Just the NFL

Those moments of silence followed a series of others last week held for Kirk, including by MLB’s Yankees and Cubs, the NFL’s Packers for their Thursday Night Football game, and UFC. 

Much like Kirk’s political activism, the decision around whether or not to recognize the Turning Point USA founder has become a lightning-rod issue across sports, with strong feelings existing among fans on both sides of the issue.