The Cincinnati Bengals sparked a firestorm in the football community by skipping a moment of silence for Charlie Kirk during their home opener.
Team owner Mike Brown takes questions from reporters during the annual Cincinnati Bengals season kickoff luncheon at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Monday, July 22, 2024.
Team owner Mike Brown takes questions from reporters during the annual Cincinnati Bengals season kickoff luncheon at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Monday, July 22, 2024.
The NFL first arranged a moment of silence to honor Charlie Kirk’s legacy before the Commanders vs. Packers game last Thursday night. For many reasons, thearrangement got some mixed reviews.Then they officially permitted every NFL team to arrange a tribute individually for the rest of week 2,leaving the decision up to each team.
Week 2 arrived, and the Bengals played their first home game on September 14. They had full permission to organize a tribute for the late political influencer, but the team’s owner, Mike Brown, seemingly chose not to since it was optional.
Bengals fans are not happy about this, especially one fan named Brian Frank, who penned a long letter announcing his decision to boycott the team.
Bengals Fan Furious Over Owner’s Take on Charlie Kirk’s Death
Frank’s letter to Brown has become the rallying cry for fans who feel the organization prioritized politics over paying respects to the slain conservative activist.
Now the Bengals are not the only team who chose to skip organizing a moment of silence honoring the 31-year-old. The Bengals joined the chorus of franchises like the Lions, Vikings, Ravens, and Colts in opting out of any pregame recognition.
Remember these teams! Remember to turn off their games, don’t buy their merch, don’t celebrate their wins! They refused a moment of silence for Charlie Kirk. Absolutely ridiculous, but they did honor George Floyd. Refuse to honor the good man, but honored an overdosed drug… pic.twitter.com/m8XgvwCtMn
— Nick G (@nickagamble) September 16, 2025
But the Bengals got the first dose of heat straight from the mailroom. The fan accused the billionaire owner of caring more about “money and power” than showing religious values, calling Kirk’s tragic death “potentially more transformative than the deaths of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr. combined.”
Frank’s opening remarks captured the depth of his disappointment with the franchise he’s supported for years. “I am ashamed and appalled that billionaire Mike Brown and his family chose not to recognize the recent death of Charlie Kirk at the Bengals home opener on Sept. 14,” Frankwrote, making clear that he saw the whole thing as a personal dig at what he believes in.
However, the fan’s boycott threat wasn’t just empty rhetoric. He literally followed through on game day. “I have learned through other channels that the Bengals won that game,” Frank wrote, “but I personally did not watch, as I turned the TV off when I saw the Bengals were not going to recognize the nationwide hurt, sadness, and trauma that so many Christians like myself felt, especially on the Sabbath.”
So, the die-hard Bengals fan is also a passionate Kirk supporter. By skipping the tribute, the team forced him to reconcile his passion for football with his emotional values. The organization has not responded publicly to Frank’s letter yet. It remains to be seen how things will unfold later.