The National Football League has me defending a former Philadelphia Eagles player. That’s like fire coming out of my mouth; I hate the damn Eagles, but the video the Department of Homeland Security posted featuring Hall of Famer Brian Dawkins is amazing. Yet the NFL asked the Trump administration to take it down.
It’s the same old story on Dawkins’ end: he didn’t consent to DHS using his image in the footage. That’s one thing. But sources saying the league also didn’t sign off on the video but wish to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the matter gave me a chuckle. This isn’t a story about nuclear codes, state secrets, or enhanced interrogation.
“Sensitivity of the situation”—like it’s a video. Relax (via The Athletic):
Earlier Monday, the NFL asked the DHS to take down the video, which was posted Sunday night and showed highlights of Dawkins’ iconic pregame walkout in reference to a purported caravan of immigrants approaching the U.S. border. The video montage, which shows the former NFL star chanting “The time has come” to himself before showing highlights of his big hits on the field, was posted to X on Sunday, accompanied by the caption “Our time has come.”
[…]
Neither the Eagles nor the NFL gave consent for the footage to be used, which is why the league asked for the video to be taken down, according to a team source who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.
The video was still up as of Monday evening.
Dawkins was a nine-time Pro Bowl and five-time All-Pro safety, playing 13 of his 16 NFL seasons (1996-2011) with the Philadelphia Eagles. He became known for his public alter ego “Weapon X,” named after the Marvel Comics character Wolverine. The hard-hitting safety also became renowned for the drama and intensity of his walkouts.
When asked if it had talked to Dawkins, the Eagles or the NFL before posting the video, DHS did not directly address the question in a statement that said, in part, “DHS is playing lockdown defense at the border. We will use every Weapon at our disposal, from A to X, to keep Americans safe.”
We’ll see what happens, but this is a good video. Again, I hate to admit it. But that’s a true fact.
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) September 28, 2026
