Cleveland Browns Spark Divided Response Over Bold Charlie Kirk Tribute During Sunday Game

The Cleveland Browns honored the late Charlie Kirk with a moment of silence and a tribute image during their September 21 game against the Green Bay Packers, igniting a fierce debate online.

While some fans were moved by the gesture, others questioned its appropriateness, reigniting the contentious conversation around politics in professional sports.

On the other hand, another group of users was moved by the Browns' decision and continued to show an outpouring of support to Kirk's family, especially his widow, Erika Kirk, and their two children.

Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during a speaking event on the campus of Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025, causing major division among political parties.

According to multiple social media posts, the Cleveland Browns held a moment of silence for Kirk, who died at age 31 in early September, during their most recent contest against the Green Bay Packers.

Viral videos shared online show a massive screen inside the Cleveland Browns stadium flashing a picture of Kirk and his family.

"Charlie Kirk, 1993-2025," the image read.

The Browns' decision to honor Kirk comes a week after the NFL announced it would allow, but not mandate, teams to pay tribute, leaving the decision up to individual clubs.

Several teams, including the Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans, and Arizona Cardinals, paid tribute to the controversial right-wing influencer.

However, the Detroit Lions, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Cincinnati Bengals, and Minnesota Vikings declined to participate in the league-wide tribute, per a previous report from The Blast, sparking outrage from some NFL fans online.

"I will say I am very disappointed in my home team @Lions for not honoring the loss of life of a human being. Very, very disappointed," someone wrote.

The Houston Texans are another team that held a moment of silence; however, they decided to honor "all the victims of violence and natural disasters across the country."

The team later explained its decision in a statement to OutKick, as reported by Fox News, saying they wanted to honor everyone impacted rather than one person.

"We held a moment of silence pregame to honor all victims of violence and natural disasters across the country," the team said. "Unfortunately, there have been a number of recent tragedies, so we did not think it was appropriate to single any of them out and minimize the others that have occurred."

The Browns' tribute to Kirk sparked an overflow of reactions, with several users expressing their confusion over the organization's stance.

"Did I miss when Charlie Kirk became anything other than a podcaster?" someone asked. "Why is he receiving more honor than any slain soldier, actual elected official, child, etc."

Another user chimed in, asking whether the NFL had ordered league-wide tributes for the Democratic lawmakers murdered inside their home in June 2025.

A third user posted several names of those murdered by gun violence, such as Tamir Rice, Desmond Franklin, and Angelo Miller.

"RIP TO ALL THE VICTIMS OF GUN VIOLENCE HERE IN CLEVELAND, OHIO," they commented. "YOU DESERVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE, TOO."

Someone asked where the people who rejected political statements in the league 10 years ago, when Colin Kaepernick spoke out against police brutality, were now.

"So Colin Kaepernick got banned from the NFL for taking a knee, but the NFL celebrates this guy?" another wrote.

But the reaction wasn't entirely negative. One user pushed back against the criticism, sharing, "This is not political. It is a beautiful reaction to a person that lived with a spiritual conviction and supported free speech."

"He encouraged dialogue and said that we can agree to disagree respectfully," they continued.

Other users also showed their support, writing "We're with you, Charlie," while another posted, "W Browns."

President Donald Trump also paid tribute to Kirk with a post on X, calling the Turning Points USA founder "great and even legendary." He further praised the father of two for his unique ability to connect with members of the youth, saying he was "loved and admired by ALL, especially me."