Brett Favre calls NFL the 'league of divisiveness' over social justice messaging displayed on fields

The National Football League first painted slogans like "End Racism" in end zones in 2020 following a summer of racial tensions.

That specific message was ditched for this past season's Super Bowl, but others remained.

Despite the league's efforts to promote unity, NFL legend Brett Favre feels that the messages are counterproductive.

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"I feel like they're maintaining a divisive stance. They may say, 'Well, we're trying to bring everyone together.' No, that's not bringing everyone together," Favre said on "The Sage Steele Show" earlier this week. "There are a lot of things in this world and in this country we can be better at. And I think we do continue to get better at certain things. But you're creating more division by talking about a problem that, I'm not saying isn't still a problem, racism, but I think you could do more by not talking about it. Talk about unity and how far we've come. 

"There are those who say, 'I've faced this all the time.' And kudos to the NFL. But I think most people are over and beyond that. Yeah. I just feel like the league is the league of divisiveness."

The phrases "Choose Love" and "It Takes All Of Us" were painted in the end zones of Thursday's Philadelphia Eagles-Dallas Cowboys matchup. Those were the same messages painted during the Eagles' Super Bowl victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, changing from the "End Racism" message.

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NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told The Athletic before the Super Bowl the decision came amid the recent tragedies that have occurred in the U.S. since the start of 2025, including the terror attack in New Orleans, wildfires in the Los Angeles area and the deadly plane crash near a Washington, D.C., airport.

"We felt it was an appropriate statement for what the country has collectively endured, given recent tragedies, and can serve as an inspiration," he told the outlet.

McCarthy added that "End Racism" was only seen during the Eagles' NFC Championship win against the Washington Commanders. The AFC Championship, in which the Chiefs topped the Buffalo Bills, included the aforementioned phrases.

Prior to kickoff on Thursday, the Black national anthem was performed, which received backlash on social media.

"NFL, you gotta stop opening the season by singing the "Black National Anthem"… We have one national anthem," one user wrote on X.

"This is the most racist, woke pandering bull s--- I've ever heard of," said another.

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