The Tides Are Turning: NFL’s Pride Month Messaging Sparks Widespread Backlash From Fans and Players
We are witnessing a significant shift in public sentiment as the NFL’s continued push for Pride Month messaging faces overwhelming backlash from both its vast fanbase and prominent players. Despite the league’s attempts to project an image of all-encompassing inclusivity, these efforts have ignited a firestorm of criticism, suggesting that many believe professional football should remain focused on the game itself, not political or social activism.
Just recently, an NFL tweet declaring, “If you love this game, you’re welcome here. Football is for all. Football is for everyone. The NFL stands by the LGBTQ community today and every day,” and encouraging support for The Trevor Project, garnered a mere 4,000 likes despite the league’s 37.7 million followers. This incredibly low engagement is a stark indicator of the disconnection between the league’s messaging and its audience’s desires.
The comment sections and general public reaction have been overwhelmingly negative, with many echoing the sentiment: “Focus on sports. Leave the activism and political BS alone“. Responses often included remarks like “Football is gay,” “Football is queer,” or “Football is transgender,” but these were frequently met with counter-arguments that “football is not any of this dumbish“. There’s a clear frustration, with some even drawing parallels to past controversies like the Colin Kaepernick situation, sarcastically noting, “Football is everyone except for Kaepernick”.
NFL Players Speak Out
Perhaps the most significant development is the open criticism from current and former NFL players. Former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver, Dez Bryant, with his massive social media following, has powerfully voiced his opposition. His post, stating, “I have nothing against gays, but this is far from right” and “I’m going to probably tell my boys football is none of these things,” received an astonishing 60,000 likes. This unprecedented level of support for a player speaking against the league’s social stance is a strong signal of shifting attitudes.
Adding to this chorus, former Chargers defensive end Nicholas Williams recently declared, “Nothing about the NFL locker room is gay or trans. It’s about faith, football, fam, family, and the brotherhood“. We believe such statements could potentially open an avalanche of more NFL players coming forward to express similar views. While individual players absolutely have the right to celebrate Pride Month if they choose, the league’s broad, institutional embrace is clearly rubbing many the wrong way.
Teams Opting Out
Adding another layer to this narrative, we’ve observed that nearly a dozen NFL teams actively declined to participate in Pride Month social media campaigns. This notable list of teams that chose not to join the “gay pride party” includes:
- Dallas Cowboys
- New York Jets
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Cleveland Browns
- Indianapolis Colts
- Las Vegas Raiders
- New Orleans Saints
- Tennessee Titans
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Philadelphia Eagles
While some teams like the Falcons, Packers, and Broncos participated this year after declining last year, the sheer number of teams opting out indicates a significant internal pushback or at least a cautious approach within the league itself.
What Football Is (and Isn’t)
The core of the backlash often revolves around what fans and players believe football truly represents. As many have articulated, football is about grit, toughness, discipline, perseverance, unity, brotherhood, team unity, competitiveness, and a series of other things. It’s seen as a sport grounded in fundamental values, not a platform for political or social messaging that deviates from its essence.
There’s also a perception of selective activism; for instance, the absence of similar vocal support for Black History Month in a league predominantly made up of black players, or a hypothetical statement about being Christian, raises questions of hypocrisy. Many feel that the NFL is “absolutely dumping on the largest demographic with the most dominant buying power,” making this potentially the “stupidest ad since Bud Light” in terms of its business impact and alienation of its core audience.
The message is clear: people have had enough of this nonsense. The widespread dissent from both fans and players strongly suggests that the NFL’s current approach to social activism is not resonating, and the tides of public opinion are indeed turning.
