NFL asks DHS to remove Brian Dawkins highlight video
The NFL has asked the Department of Homeland Security to take down an X post that paired Hall of Famer Brian Dawkins' hardest hits with immigration-enforcement messaging. Dawkins and the league say no permission was given. The clip remained online into Monday as eagles score talk collided with the rights dispute.
Key Takeaways
- DHS posted Dawkins highlights Sunday with the caption "Our time has come," tying his hits to border enforcement.
- The NFL formally asked DHS to remove the video; it was still online as of noon ET Monday.
- Dawkins said he did not authorize use of his name, image, or likeness.
- An Eagles source told CBS the team and league never cleared the clip for DHS.
What did the DHS video of Brian Dawkins show?
According to ESPN, DHS published the X post Sunday evening after another account claimed a "huge migrant caravan" was nearing the U.S. southern border.
CBS News Philadelphia reported the clip shows Dawkins' pregame walkout as he chants "The time has come," then a string of big hits. The agency's caption mirrored that line: "Our time has come."
The post likened the Hall of Fame safety's collisions to immigration agents' treatment of migrants—an analogy the NFL rejected by seeking a takedown.
Why did the NFL ask DHS to remove the clip?
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told CBS on Monday that "the league has requested the DHS take down the video." League and team sources say DHS used the footage without clearance.
Dawkins texted ESPN that he had not blessed the post. On X he wrote he had "respectfully not given permission to anyone other than those I currently do business with to use my NIL," adding "Be Blessed!"
An Eagles team source separately told CBS that neither the club nor the NFL green-lit the highlights for DHS. Fans following Fintech & Crypto Alerts coverage of brand and rights flashpoints will recognize the same permission fight.
Has the federal government used NFL highlights this way before?
Yes. In March, the White House posted video mixing NFL and NCAA hits with footage of airstrikes on Iranian targets, ESPN and CBS both noted. That package included a clip of former Eagles cornerback Sheldon Brown hitting Reggie Bush in the 2006 playoffs, per CBS.
ESPN reported the NFL declined to say whether it sought removal of the White House video, which remained online. The Dawkins post was still up as of noon ET Monday despite the new request.
Responding to CBS about the Dawkins clip, DHS said in part it is "playing lockdown defense at the border" and will "use every Weapon at our disposal, from A to X, to keep Americans safe."
What should fans watching the eagles score know next?
Dawkins spent most of his 16 seasons with Philadelphia before a stint with Denver, earned nine Pro Bowl selections, and entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018. The dispute is about rights and messaging—not a night's eagles score—but it puts Eagles lore back in a national political spotlight.
Watch whether DHS complies with the NFL's removal ask and whether Dawkins or the league pursue further action over NIL and highlight use.