The Packers kicked off their Week 2 clash with the Commanders by pausing for a powerful pregame tribute to Charlie Kirk. The 31-year-old conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder was shot and killed on Wednesday at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
Donald Trump confirmed the news on social media and, in an Oval Office address, mixed grief with outrage over the assassination. He also revealed that Kirk will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously.
Packers Tribute Sparks Divided Reactions Over NFL’s Gesture
Screenshot via X/@_MLFootball
The Packers’ moment of silence added them to a growing list of professional teams recognizing Kirk, including the New York Yankees, who held a similar observance on Wednesday night before facing the Detroit Tigers. Authorities had not yet identified a suspect as of Thursday evening, though the FBI released a photo of a person of interest earlier in the day.
The gesture in Green Bay quickly drew mixed reactions online. Some viewers said they were pleased the team acted, but frustrated that Amazon’s national broadcast did not show it. One user wrote that the league’s decision came off as performative rather than sincere, calling it a “Limp D*ck attempt at concern.”
Limp Dick attempt at concern…
— Southern Cross (@southernXabacos) September 12, 2025
Others thanked the Packers despite the lack of coverage.Posts on X included: “So glad they did, but it wasn’t broadcast” and oneadded, “Didn’t see it on TV, but glad they did it.”
Another reaction noted surprise at the NFL’s move: “Surprising coming from the NFL, but nice to see it done!”
Critics also accused Amazon of avoiding the moment entirely. “@amazon didn’t bother to show the remembrance of Charlie. Classless peddlers of Chinese crap!”wrote one account.Another added, “Too cowardly to do it on national TV.”
These sharply divided responses underline how tributes to political figures, even in the context of tragedy, have become flashpoints for fans. Like the Yankees’ decision a night earlier, the Packers’ decision has now placed the NFL squarely in that debate.