Former NFL player and Christian minister says Muslim players are being unfairly punished



The NFL promotes politics on clothes and in the end zones, but when it comes to players doing so, it's a no go.

Muslim players found this out the hard way earlier this month when they were fined for writing messages on their eye black, an apparent violation of league rules.

'If you're going to pull down the messaging, pull it all down.'

Arizona Cardinals defensive back Kei'Trel Clark wrote, "Glory Be 2 God ...," with a peace sign in the middle, while Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair was fined for having the name of a deceased Palestinian child.

Both were fined for displaying personal messages, but one former NFL player turned Christian minister says they should have the right to do so.

Former Minnesota Vikings defensive back Jack Brewer told OutKick he thought it was "disgusting" for the NFL to fine players for writing religious messages on their equipment.

"If someone's writing things across their uniform or putting it out there on top of their helmet, that's a different story," Brewer said. "But the eye black — think back to Tim Tebow and many, many other athletes, myself. We would write stuff on our tapes, on our forearms. We would write stuff on our eye black."

Brewer revealed that he spoke with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Washington, D.C., about the issue, discussing the players' freedom of speech and employee rights.

"When you start talking about freedom of speech in this country and you start talking about employees' rights in this country, it's a big deal," Brewer explained. "As a Christian man, I'm not going to stand for that. And as a former NFL player, I'm not going to stand for that."

RELATED: Muslim NFL players say they're confused after thousands of dollars in fines: 'I need answers'

Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images

Brewer said that players of any religion should be protected from being fined for displaying messages such as those from Clark and Al-Shaair; both are Muslim.

Much of the former player's argument centered around the fact that the NFL already has significant political messaging around the sport, such as gay pride merchandise and anti-racism messaging in the end zones.

"If you're going to pull down the messaging, pull it all down, but don't pick and choose," Brewer said.

He added, "You cannot treat people differently based upon whatever it is you want to promote."

Brewer argued that the NFL, through all its different statements, "cannot pick and choose" which messages it wants its players to be a part of.

RELATED: Former Vikings player says 'demonic' Minnesota Democrats are upset ICE is 'deporting their voters'

Jack Brewer 2004. Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

The players who were fined seemed to be in direct violation of Rule 5, Section 4, Article 8 of the NFL rulebook, which states, "Players are prohibited from wearing, displaying, or otherwise conveying personal messages" during game day when the player is visible to the stadium or television audience.

For Clark, his fine may have come as a surprise given that he had worn religious messaging on his eye black in September 2025 that read, "Inshallah ...," one of many ways the player expresses his Muslim faith publicly.

"The NFL treated Clark's gratitude to God, as expressed in four words, as a punishable personal message," Brewer said in a letter, per OutKick. "This fine represents an action that strikes at the heart of religious liberty and sends a chilling message to every person of faith in professional sports."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The Rick Burgess Show | LIVE | 9/30/26 | Ep. 422
play icon

The Rick Burgess Show | LIVE | 9/30/26 | Ep. 422

The Rick Burgess Show | LIVE | 9/29/26 | Ep. 421
play icon

The Rick Burgess Show | LIVE | 9/29/26 | Ep. 421

NY Giants quarterback labeled 'insane' over pregame comments — almost no one knew he was quoting the Bible



Fans called New York Giants quarterback Jameis Winston everything from crazy to a troll on Sunday, and they really couldn't figure out what he was trying to say.

Winston is known for being incredibly eloquent with his thoughts, but this time, he wasn't sharing his own words, and his comments seemingly went right over everyone's head.

'It's us doing, being doers, not speakers.'

Before the Week 3 game against the Tennessee Titans, droves of fans were already reacting to yet another head-scratching interview from the Giants' new starting quarterback, something they've already become accustomed to.

CBS reporter AJ Ross was the one tasked with asking Winston about his game prep and his ability to carry the team as he stepped in for injured QB Jaxson Dart; but there is no way she expected the answer Winston gave.

"One thing that I do is forgetting those that is behind and reaching forward to what's ahead," Winston replied.

Fans were confused. The video was seen over 5 million times, but almost no one understood what the QB was trying to say.

One post called Winston's words "utter incoherence," while another said he was saying "insane things."

No, Winston wasn't trying and failing to sound "eloquent," as another fan put it. He was actually quoting Scripture.

Winston was relaying the message of Philippians 3:13, about Paul the apostle admitting he has not yet achieved perfection.

RELATED: NFL fines player for 'beer' chug celebration — but what happened right after proves the league's hypocrisy

Not everyone was pessimistic about Winston's pregame words though. Popular podcast "Bussin' with the Boys" labeled the Alabama native a "poet," while sports website OutKick called him a "national treasure."

Podcaster Keith Malinak was one of the few who understood the message, relaying the passage to more readers.

Winston's unrelenting positivity has a way of resulting in some of the most entertaining — as well as some of the most confusing — interview segments, and he can often catch reporters off guard.

For example, when a CBS reporter asked him about how the weather might affect the game, Winston didn't give the most clear response.

"The circumstances, conditions, and facts, they don't matter," the 32-year-old replied. "It's us doing, being doers, not speakers."

With answers like that, it's not hard to see why fans have a difficult time determining when Winston is delivering biblical quotes or his own personal wisdom.

RELATED: 'You're like the most genuine dude': Comic Bert Kreischer gives hilarious, loving speech to Jameis Winston during Super Bowl

Elsa/Getty Images

Following the 12-7 win over the Titans, Winston began his postgame interview by telling reporters he was "elated" to see his team close out the game.

"Praise God," Winston added.

Consistent questions followed about whether he feels replaceable, but Winston continuously made it clear to reporters how grateful he is to be in his position.

The truth is, most analysts are not confident in Winston's capabilities as a starting quarterback. With no touchdowns and just 229 passing yards in his first two games, criticisms have come quickly and in abundance.

As ESPN's Stephen A. Smith stated, there is a certain expectation of an eventual big mistake when Winston is in the game.

"Jameis Winston is more entertaining and more interesting in the pregame chatter about football than he is once he's behind center. That's the reality of the situation," he said.

The Giants play the Arizona Cardinals in Week 4 in what should be another winnable game. The Giants have many such games before the end of the calendar year.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The Rick Burgess Show | LIVE | 9/28/26 | Ep. 420
play icon

The Rick Burgess Show | LIVE | 9/28/26 | Ep. 420

NFL fines player for 'beer' chug celebration — but what happened right after proves the league's hypocrisy



Multiple NFL players were fined this week for what the league called a celebration made "in poor taste."

Unfortunately for the NFL, the moments that transpired afterward made it incredibly easy to mock the league's front office as hypocritical.

'An offensive demonstration and could reasonably be construed as being in poor taste.'

The players in question included San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who, after catching a pass for a touchdown in the third quarter against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, performed a celebration that made it look like he was chugging a beverage.

The NFL took issue with that, fining him $14,926 and telling the player his "imitation of chugging a beer constituted an offensive demonstration and could reasonably be construed as being in poor taste."

As ESPN reporter Adam Schefter reported, not only did Juszczyk immediately appeal the fine, the fullback's nickname is "Juice," meaning it is arguable that he could have been imitating drinking a glass of juice.

To make matters worse, fans and reporters alike immediately pointed out the number of prominent beer ads and sponsorships associated with the NFL, including Bud Light under its Anheuser-Busch partnership that runs through 2027.

While some online critics artificially placed a Bud Light ad right after Juszczyk's touchdown, it's not far from what actually happened.

According to the Athletic's 49ers reporter Matt Barrows, not only did a Michelob Ultra beer commercial air in the ad block right after Juszczyk scored, so did a FanDuel gambling ad that featured beer drinking. Michelob is under Anheuser-Busch while FanDuel is also an NFL sponsor.

RELATED: Peyton Manning's nephew learns what the liberal media is all about — and it may change him forever

Indianapolis Colts guard Matt Goncalves was also fined $8,847 for a similar "offensive demonstration" that was labeled "chugging a beer."

Backlash from journalists and athletes alike was swift but focused on "Juice" in particular.

Former NFL player and three-time defensive player of the year J.J. Watt asked the most obvious question: "Could it not be 'reasonably construed' that he is drinking ... stay with me here ... Juice?"

George Kittle, 49ers tight end, posted a picture of his teammate holding a can of Bud Light and joked, "He can't be stopped!! This is before practice! Are you kidding me?"

Sportscaster Linda Cohn called the NFL's punishment "HEAD SHAKING HYPOCRISY," while Fox analyst Jason McIntyre asked, "The NFL can have beer as a sponsor, but a fullback can't do a celebration pretending to chug a beer?"

RELATED: MAGA-haters say 'Trump curse' hit Jaxson Dart with reportedly season-ending injury

Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

According to reporter Schefter, in addition to his appeal, Juszczyk also texted that he has done the celebration before without being fined, adding, "And I don’t even drink beer!"

Juszczyk also took to wife Kristin's TikTok account to partake in a video of him squeezing oranges into a glass with the caption, "$14,926 glass of juice."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

MAGA-haters say 'Trump curse' hit Jaxson Dart with reportedly season-ending injury



The season of the New York Giants football team has seemingly ended after a devastating injury to the team's star quarterback, Jaxson Dart, during "Monday Night Football."

Dart was in great pain when he got tackled by linebackers Byron Young and Josiah Stewart in the opening drive of the game against the Los Angeles Rams.

'Everything...and I mean EVERYTHING...that trump touches turns to s***...'

He suffered an injury to his left knee and was pulled out of the game. Initially the injury appeared to be moderate, but sources indicated later that he may be out for the rest of the season.

While Giants fans were upset by the news, some critics of President Donald Trump gleefully blamed the injury on the "Trump curse." Dart had introduced the president at a rally in New York and expressed his support for the Republican in May.

"Jaxson Dart appears to be the latest victim of the Trump curse," responded an X user with pronouns in his profile.

"Everyone who sucks up to TRUMP pays!! Trump is POISON!! Hope Dart thought it was worth it!" said another critic.

"Jaxson Dart introduced Trump and this happens. Talk about the kiss of death smh," read one response.

"Everything...and I mean EVERYTHING...that trump touches turns to s***, including Dart. It's quite remarkable," said another.

"Just another example of Trump / MAGA destroying everything they touch?" asked one account.

"The Curse of Trump strikes again. Dart never should have attended the Trump rally and introduced him. Everything Trump touches is cursed. Live and learn the hard way kid," said another critic.

Others implied that Dart's own offensive line didn't protect him enough in order to get him back for his support of Trump.

RELATED: Christian NFL star apologizes after referring to kids' game that likely left LGBTQ crowd seething

Young, the linebacker who tackled Dart, was far more civil in his response on social media.

"Never play to hurt anybody. I pray for a healthy recovery," he wrote and added a prayer emoji.

The Giants went on to lose the game to the Rams by a score of 6 to 28.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Chiefs head coach credits Taylor Swift for keeping Travis Kelce's energy levels up — in an unexpected way



What's enabling Travis Kelce to perform so well early this season?

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has a couple of theories, and they are both providing results.

'Would he be out of shape and honeymooning the whole time and all that?'

Kelce has started the 2026 season on fire, and although it has only been two games, he's averaging the most receiving yards per game (86) since his 2020 season (94.4), which was his career high.

He's also put up the most yards per reception he ever has (14.3), so far.

The reasons for that, according to Reid, are equal parts Taylor Swift and Kelce's "rear end" — literally.

"Trav worked his tail off. That's the bottom line," he told reporters in a remote press conference on Monday.

Reid praised "the amount of work" Kelce has put in, as well as his "surrounding cast." Reid was seemingly referring to the people Kelce is surrounding himself with on a personal level, and that includes his new wife, Swift.

The coach said that everyone wondered whether Kelce would be exhausted at the start of the season following his recent wedding and subsequent honeymoon, asking, "Would he be out of shape and honeymooning the whole time and all that?"

Then Reid answered his own question, saying that Kelce is trying to keep up with his wife's energy levels.

"He works his rear end off, and I think Taylor [Swift], you're putting on four-hour shows, you've got to work hard, too. So I'm sure she kicks him in the butt a little bit there, too."

RELATED: Wife of Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator allegedly shot by their son 'multiple times'

Again referring to Kelce working his tail off, Reid said the tight end has "really focused in on his body strength and his glutes and everything, you know, where you develop all the power and speed and maintain it."

The 68-year-old added, "I think he's done a good job in those areas, you know, where he's been able to maintain good explosiveness."

Players' tails seem to be top of mind for the Chiefs, with Kelce telling reporters after an overtime win against the Indianapolis Colts, "Guys were playing their tails off for the guys next to them, and that's why I love this team right now."

"We're in a zone right now where everybody's feeding off each other," Kelce continued, per KMBC News. "There was never a doubt that we were going to get that win."

RELATED: Muslim NFL players say they're confused after thousands of dollars in fines: 'I need answers'

Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images

Swift keeps herself in the news every time she shows up at a Chiefs game to support Kelce, and Sunday's game was no different.

The singer was recorded in the luxury suites at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, as she cheered on Kelce when he scored a touchdown in the first quarter.

"That's my husband!" she appeared to yell, pointing at her ring finger.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Muslim NFL players say they're confused after thousands of dollars in fines: 'I need answers'



Arizona Cardinals defensive back Kei'Trel Clark became the second Muslim player to receive a fine from the NFL in the past week or so.

Following a letter from the league, the 25-year-old is searching for answers, but he probably doesn't have to look too hard.

'I got to report to God at the end of my days on the day of judgement!'

Clark posted the NFL's correspondence on his Instagram page, telling him he was "in violation of the NFL Uniform and Equipment Rules."

"Specifically, you displayed a personal message on your eye black," the letter continued, per the Instagram story cited by the Daily Mail.

Clark was spotted on the field on September 13 against the Los Angeles Chargers wearing the message "Glory Be 2 God ..." with a peace sign in the middle.

This message appears to directly violate Rule 5, Section 4, Article 8 of the NFL rulebook, which states, "Players are prohibited from wearing, displaying, or otherwise conveying personal messages" during game day when the player is visible to the stadium or television audience.

As a result, Clark was fined $6,651.

Clark shared a screenshot of the letter with a picture of himself, writing, "I need answers. 6.6k for Giving God the Glory."

He later added, "I got to report to God at the end of my days on the day of judgement! I'll always give God the Glory and out loud. All good."

RELATED: The NFL says it could expand with multiple teams — and you won't like where they're going

Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images

At the same time, Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair was fined following a loss to the Buffalo Bills for having the name "Hind Rajab" written on his eye black during the game on September 13, per Fox News.

Hind Rajab is the name of a 5-year-old Palestinian girl who was allegedly shot and killed in her family's car by Israeli forces in 2024 during the Israel-Palestine war.

For that, Al-Shaair received an $11,492 fine.

On Sunday, Al-Shaair was spotted during warm-ups wearing a different message on his eye black: "Wafaa Akila." A translation through Arabic123.com says Wafaa means "completeness, fulfillment, and loyalty," while Akila means "a woman who is thoughtful and articulate in expressing her views and opinions on important matters."

Any fines for that message could be announced later this week.

Al-Shaair was also fined $11,593 in January for wearing "Stop the Genocide" on his eye black during a playoff game. He told reporters at the time he knew he was in violation of the rules.

"I knew that that was a fine. I understood what I was doing," he said before expressing some confusion.

"But I was told that if I wore that in the game I would be pulled out the game, so I think that was probably the part I was confused about."

RELATED: Travis Kelce duped by Indian illegal immigrant in massive Ponzi scheme

Brooke Sutton/Getty Images

Clark did not appear to be fined for wearing eye black in September 2025 that read, "Inshallah ...," one of his many public expressions of his Muslim faith.

In a 2025 Instagram post he wrote, "I put my heart into this $h!t, it’s always been bigger then me. Only Allah Knows."

As well, the front of his Instagram page contains Arabic writing that, when translated by Google, reads, "In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful."

It also features links to photos of Quranic passages.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The NFL says it could expand with multiple teams — and you won't like where they're going



The NFL has already expanded to broadcasting on paid services, and when it expands the league, games might be physically out of reach for fans too.

Prior to the Thursday night game between the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions on Amazon Prime, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell revealed that the league's global reach could expand into time zones American fans won't be happy about.

'We're looking at how we continue to grow our media exposure globally.'

Is it the return of NFL Europe? Not exactly, but Goodell said the other side of the ocean is the most likely target for any league expansion that may happen.

"I think if we continue to grow, continue to get the kind of reaction, I do think a franchise will be international at some point in time," Goodell stated, per Fox News.

"I think Europe is the most likely [place], for a lot of reasons. One, the length of time we've been playing there. But also, the scheduling is going to be a lot easier."

The NFL's European league existed in different forms from 1991 until 2007 with teams in countries like Germany and Spain.

Now the NFL is playing almost 10 games this season on foreign soil, including a game last week in Melbourne, Australia. However, Goodell did reveal that Australia is likely too far.

"Australia might create a few complications for us," the commissioner admitted.

Furthermore, adding just one team to the 32-franchise league would likely throw things off — leagues don't typically like to have odd-numbered teams for ease of conferences or games played — and Goodell said he believed more than one expansion team is possible.

"I also believe we could have more than one team, which I think, ultimately, the support is there," Goodell said, according to Fox News. "Two more teams."

RELATED: Travis Kelce duped by Indian illegal immigrant in massive Ponzi scheme

In an interview with CNBC, Goodell said, however, 34 teams is "not first on our list," and the league hasn't "really spent any time studying it."

Do players like it?

During that discussion, Goodell was asked if he thought players enjoyed participating in international games, to which he claimed they do take pride in carrying "the mantle" for the league and becoming ambassadors for the sport.

"[They're] helping to expand the game on a global basis," Goodell said, adding that players are expanding their own brands at the same time. "I think they see the opportunity."

Former NFL coach and Super Bowl winner Jon Gruden recently rained on the expansion parade, telling a fan that he thinks the game should be grown in America first.

In fact, Gruden yelled at the fan who was supportive of international play, saying, "If you want to grow the game, grow it in the United States. We got a lot of kids that aren't playing football. So let's play games where we need to grow the game in our country. And let's start and end with that."

In a response that was as hilarious as it was passionate, Gruden mocked the idea that it was more difficult to travel and play games across the United States generations ago than it is to play internationally today.

"I didn't see Red Grange playing in Australia. And I never saw Ray Nitschke play in London! OK?! So take that and stick that in your pipe," Gruden heckled.

RELATED: NFL makes social justice announcement fans probably aren't going to like

NFL Europe, 2007 in Hamburg, Germany. Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images

In terms of when an expansion might happen, Goodell's contract ends in 2030, so it is conceivable he would want to see the global expansion by that time.

He told CNBC that it is "very possible" to have an international team "someday," but he purposely did not put a timeframe on it.

"We're looking at how we grow the number of games. We're looking at how we continue to grow our media exposure globally," he said.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!