The NFL mandated a moment of silence for political influencer Charlie Kirk on Thursday night, ahead of kickoff at the Green Bay Packers vs. Washington Commanders game.
Heading into this weekend, though, the NFL left it up to the teams. Individual NFL franchises hosting games on Sunday afternoon, September 14 were given the freedom to chose to pay tribute to Kirk as they saw fit. Kirk, 31, was shot and killed in Utah on Wednesday afternoon, September 10. He was shot in the neck at a speaking event at Utah Valley University and pronounced dead at the hospital.
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Kirk, an avid Oregon Ducks fan, had a lot of supporters in the football world, with several notable current and former players, including Tim Tebow and Brett Favre, paying tribute on social media.
There was a moment of silence for Charlie Kirk during the Tennessee Titans/Los Angeles Rams game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025.© Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
There are nine games taking place in the 1 p.m. E.T. window on Sunday afternoon. Of those nine games, five teams chose to honor Kirk with a pregame moment of silence or form of tribute:
Cowboys vs. Giants: Dallas held a moment of silence with Kirk’s image on the jumbotron.
Dolphins vs. Patriots: Miami held a moment of silence for Kirk and the victims of 9/11/
Saints vs. 49ers: New Orleans held a moment of silence for Kirk and the victims of gun violence.
Jets vs. Bills: New York held a moment of silence for Kirk while showing images of the right-wing influencer on social media.
Steelers vs. Seahawks: Pittsburgh held a moment of silence for Craig Wolfley, who died during the offseason, while having their American flag at half-mast for Kirk.
Four NFL games did not honor Kirk
According to NBC Sports research via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, four NFL games did not honor Kirk before their Week 2 games:
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Bengals vs. Jaguars: No moment of silence
Lions vs. Bears: No moment of silence
Titans vs. Rams: No moment of silence
Ravens vs. Browns: No moment of silence
In total, 13 NFL teams are hosting games, as fans wonder if the league will choose to honor Kirk at an individual team level.
Kirk, who grew up outside of Chicago, is survived by his wife, Erika, and their two children. A large memorial for Kirk will be held on 21 September at State Farm Stadium in Arizona.
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Sep 14, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.