When it comes to the annals of NFL history, few players commanded the sort of universal respect that All Pro Safety Brian Dawkins did.
Dawkins, a 2018 inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, played 16 seasons in the NFL — 13 with the Philadelphia Eagles, three with the Denver Broncos — and earned every last letter of his “Weapon X” nickname.
The fearsome defender was known for his versatility, insane sideline-to-sideline coverage, bone-crunching hits, and outspoken leadership.
In other words, it’s obvious why a government branch like the Department of Homeland Security would want to channel a player like Dawkins — especially in response to reports that a massive migrant caravan was headed for the southern U.S. border.
(A “Weapon X” probably would be useful in that case.)
Our time has come. https://t.co/Ygzy6Qfni3 pic.twitter.com/xNFNRkAaTq
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) September 27, 2026
Do you watch NFL football?
Yes: 29% (5 Votes)
No: 71% (12 Votes)
“Our time has come,” the Sunday post read.
It’s a rather innocuous hype clip that’s more or less been in line with the memetic administration of President Donald Trump.
But on Monday, the NFL apparently wasn’t laughing.
ESPN reported that the league officially requested that DHS take the video down and not use it. And as of Tuesday evening, those pleas appear to have fallen on deaf ears, as the video is still up and playing.
Dawkins also took to social media to distance himself from the post.
I have respectfully not given permission to anyone other than those I currently do business with to use my NIL. Be Blessed! 🙏🏽
#Breath pic.twitter.com/lXOMwZGLJ3
— Brian Dawkins (@BrianDawkins) September 28, 2026
“Hello blessed people,” Dawkins began in his Monday social media post. “Alright, let’s be clear. Let’s be clear. I didn’t give permission for my name, image, and likeness to be used by anybody… by anybody, alright?
“Take a deep breath. Y’all be blessed.”
Dawkins added via caption: “I have respectfully not given permission to anyone other than those I currently do business with to use my NIL. Be Blessed!”
Of note, while Dawkins is distancing himself from the video, he also didn’t seem especially upset about it, stopping shy of asking the Trump administration to take the video down.
That’s a marked step behind the NFL itself, which apparently was miffed enough to reach out to DHS.
And there’s probably a simple explanation why: Ever since the 2016 “Star-Spangled Banner” protests popularized by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick rocked the NFL — and its ratings — the league has seemed hyper-fixated on being as “middle-of-the-aisle” as possible.
However, many conservatives still accuse the league of pandering to far-left “woke” ideologies, but on a more subtle scale than publicly protesting the national anthem.
Things like halftime shows and social justice sloganeering have made the league a frequent target of “woke” accusations.
Given that, it’s little surprise that the league seems aggressively insistent on staying out of politics.
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