The words “End Racism” will not be featured in the back of end zones during Super Bowl LIX between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
Instead, the phrases “Choose Love” and “It Takes All of Us” will be emblazoned in the end zones at the Caesars Superdome. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told The Athletic on Tuesday 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.
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The Kansas City Chiefs’ end zone before Super Bowl LVIII against the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium on Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Ryan Kang/Getty Images)
“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.
The “End Racism” stencil debuted in 2020 after a summer of racial turmoil in the U.S. The phrase was featured in the Chiefs’ end zone in last year’s Super Bowl. The San Francisco 49ers had “It Takes All of Us.”
The NFL’s move to remove it for the Super Bowl came as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell defended the league’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies.
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The words “End Racism” and the New Orleans Saints logo in the end zone. (Kirby Lee-USA Today Sports)
“We got into diversity efforts because we felt like it was the right thing for the National Football League, and we’re going to continue those efforts because we’ve not only convinced ourselves, we’ve proven ourselves, that it does make the NFL better,” Goodell said. “We’re not in this because it’s a trend to get in or a trend to get out of it.
“Our efforts are fundamental in trying to attract the best possible talent in the National Football League, both on and off the field, as I said previously. We see that. We see how it benefits the National Football League, and so I think we’ll continue those efforts.”
Goodell said the league’s DEI efforts were a reflection of the foundation of the league.
“I think it’s also clearly a reflection on our fan base and our communities and our players. People talk a lot about the Rooney Rule… for us there’s no requirement to hire a particular individual on the basis of race or gender. It’s simply on the basis of looking at a campus of candidates that reflect our communities and to look at the kind of talent that exists there, and then you make the best decision on who is hired,” he added.
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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell speaks during a news conference, Monday, Feb. 3, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Matt York)
“So many of us, including the National Football League at our office, are doing that voluntarily at all levels because it has benefited us. And I hear that from companies on a global basis. That’s a very strong hiring practice we’re adopting also.”
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