The National Football League said Friday that individual clubs will decide whether to mark the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at this weekend’s games, after the league directed a moment of silence before Thursday Night Football.
The league announced that the silent reflection held before the Green Bay Packers-Washington Commanders game at Lambeau Field was a league-level decision and that the remaining 30 clubs would make their own choices for Sunday’s slate. At Lambeau, a public-address announcer asked fans to join in "a moment of silent reflection following the murder of Charlie Kirk," and the league said it "condemns all violence in our communities. It will take all of us to stop hate."
Kirk, 31, the co-founder of Turning Point USA, was shot in the neck while speaking Wednesday on the campus of Utah Valley University. He was taken to a local hospital and later pronounced dead, according to authorities and multiple news reports. His death prompted tributes and remembrances in some sports venues and public events, while the NFL opted to delegate further action to teams.
In its statement, the league said clubs have previously held moments of silence or other tributes both for events that "rise to a national level" and for incidents affecting their communities, citing past examples such as the Tree of Life synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh, international attacks, major hurricanes, wildfires and other tragedies. The league has also arranged pregame tributes in prior seasons for high-profile losses, including the deaths that followed the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and his daughter, and the passing of Hall of Famer Chris Doleman.
Outside the NFL, Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees observed a moment of silence for Kirk before a game Wednesday night in The Bronx, where former President Donald Trump also made an appearance on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. Sports organizations and other institutions have varied in their responses, with some choosing to hold remembrances and others not.
League officials did not specify criteria clubs should use in deciding whether to hold a tribute for Kirk, and individual teams were expected to make announcements ahead of their games. The NFL’s announcement formalized the practice of combining league-directed actions for certain events with team-level discretion for others.
Public reaction has included calls for condemnation of violence and discussion about public figures’ safety; law enforcement agencies in Utah continue their investigation into the shooting. The NFL’s approach leaves the visibility and form of any tributes to local teams and markets as Week 2 games proceed.