The NFL’s handling of tributes for conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was killed in a shooting at Utah Valley University, has generated heated discussion.
While the league coordinated a league-wide moment of silence during the Packers-Commanders Thursday night game, it later gave individual clubs the choice to honor Kirk and victims of gun violence before Sunday’s games.
At the New Orleans Saints’ home game, KADN News15 sports director Will Herren reported that the team did observe a pre-game moment of silence. According to Herren, who was in attendance, “some fans booed, while others cheered” during the pause before the national anthem.
His account remains one of the few on-the-ground reports, as no widespread video evidence has yet surfaced to corroborate the extent of fan reaction. Renowned X.com account MLFootball reported the same.
Divided tributes and divided responses
Several teams, including the Jets, Cardinals, Dolphins, Saints, Steelers, Titans, Chiefs, and Cowboys, held moments of silence. Some displayed images of Kirk on stadium screens.
Others, such as the Bengals, Lions, Colts, Vikings, and Ravens, opted not to take part in the tribute.
The Saints’ game has drawn the most attention due to the reports of booing. Fans online seized on the reported boos as evidence of growing divides over how public tributes intersect with political identities.
Others argued the cheers, which Herren also noted, highlighted that not all fans reacted negatively. There are also unconfirmed reports that San Francisco 49ers fans had filled home areas of the Saints’ stadium.
Still, the lack of broad, independent video confirmation leaves uncertainty about how widespread the reaction truly was. Most social media claims of booing come from individual users and have not been backed by national outlets.
The NFL’s position
The league clarified after Thursday’s nationally televised tribute that future moments of silence would be “at the discretion of the clubs.”
That decision produced a patchwork approach, with some franchises embracing the tribute and others quietly opting out.
This inconsistency has fueled debates about the NFL’s role in public memorials. Critics argue that by leaving it to teams, the league created uneven messaging.
Supporters counter that giving clubs discretion was appropriate, considering the polarizing nature of Kirk’s political profile.
While it is unclear if the Saints’ pre-game silence honoring Kirk and victims of gun violence was definitively met with a mix of boos and cheers beyond his testimony, the league’s attempt to balance tribute with discretion has left both teams and fans navigating an emotionally charged issue.
Given the prominence of Kirk’s death in the media, it is one that is unlikely to fade quickly from the conversation.
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