Fury as two NFL teams fail to pay tribute to Charlie Kirk despite other franchises honoring slain MAGA star
The Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens did not pay tribute to Charlie Kirk on Sunday after his assassination in Utah this week.
The New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans, New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys all halted proceedings before their kickoffs to remember the life of the 31-year-old MAGA star.
But the Lions and Ravens let the moment pass without reference to Kirk’s shock killing.
Daily Mail has contacted the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers to ask if they honored Kirk, too. There are still six NFL games to be played this weekend.
The decision comes after the Ravens held a moment of silence when George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in 2020, and players from both franchises took a knee during the National Anthem months later.
Prior to kickoff of the game between the Green Bay Packers and the Washington Commanders on Thursday night, the Packers also observed a moment of silence for the controversial political figured.
The Dallas Cowboys were among the NFL teams to hold a moment of silence for Charlie Kirk
Kirk was also remembered before the Tennessee Titans played the LA Rams in Nashville
Vigils have been held across America after Kirk was shot in the neck during an event in Utah
But the NFL then announced that it would let its teams decide if they want to pay tribute to Kirk this weekend.
The Cowboys, Jets and Titans all broadcast a picture of Kirk on their jumbotrons during a moment of silence. The Saints held a period of silence before the National Anthem in New Orleans.
The Dolphins also held a moment of silence for Kirk, along with the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks ‘and any other victims of violence’.
On Friday, the NFL released a statement in response to a PFT question regarding the gesture, revealing that the choice was made by the league for Thursday’s game.
However, they said they would leave it up to teams moving forward. ‘Last night’s moment was the league’s decision. It’s up to the clubs for this Sunday’s games,’ the statement read.
‘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.
Kirk was shot and killed in Utah on Wednesday, leaving behind his wife, Erika, and two children
Kirk’s fans in Utah lit candles during an emotional vigil in the days after he was killed
‘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.’
Authorities are still trying to learn more about what motivated the fatal shooting of Kirk at a college in Utah on Wednesday, as the conservative activist’s family plans a memorial next week to his life and legacy.
Tyler James Robinson, 22, of Washington, Utah, was arrested on suspicion of aggravated murder and other felony offenses. Prosecutors are drawing up formal charges that could be filed early next week, when he will make his first court appearance.
Investigators have spoken to Robinson’s relatives and carried out a search warrant at his family’s home in Washington, about 240 miles southwest of Utah Valley University, where the shooting took place.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox said family members told authorities that Robinson ‘had become more political in recent years.’ They recounted to authorities a dinner table conversation in which he mentioned Kirk’s upcoming visit to Utah Valley University and they discussed whether the activist was spreading hate.
State records show Robinson is registered to vote but not affiliated with a political party and is listed as inactive, meaning he did not vote in the two most recent general elections. His parents are registered Republicans.
Ammunition found with the weapon used to kill Kirk was engraved with taunting, anti-fascist and meme-culture messages. One bullet casing had the message, ‘Hey, fascist! Catch!’ Cox said.
Robinson mocked the manhunt for the gunman and taunted the FBI’s investigation while joking about obtaining reward money before eventually surrendering to police, according to messages obtained by The New York Times.
He showed no sign of remorse in screenshots of the Discord chat shared by a former high school classmate.
The New York Jets also honored the MAGA star following his assassination on Wednesday
Tyler James Robinson, 22, was arrested on suspicion of aggravated murder and other offenses
In fact, Robinson appeared to revel in the attention, exchanging meme-laced jabs with acquaintances while authorities scrambled to find the person responsible.
‘Tyler killed Charlie!!!!’ one user wrote in a group chat on Thursday afternoon, jokingly tagging Robinson.
Robinson fired back almost instantly: ‘My doppelganger’s trying to get me in trouble,’ he wrote.
The gallows humor was delivered just hours after the FBI had released surveillance stills showing a young man in sunglasses and a cap, walking through a stairwell at Utah Valley University where Kirk had been speaking.
Turning Point USA, Kirk’s conservative organization, will hold a memorial for him Sept. 21 at State Farm Stadium outside Phoenix, where the Arizona Cardinals play.
Kirk’s casket arrived Thursday in his home state aboard Air Force Two, accompanied by Vice President JD Vance.
His widow, Erika Kirk, vowed to continue his campus tour and his radio and podcast shows.
‘To everyone listening tonight across America, the movement my husband built will not die,’ she said Friday in a livestreamed video. ‘It won´t. I refuse to let that happen.’