“Choose Love” in the NFL is a social‑justice and unity message the league uses on helmet decals and in end zones to promote compassion, empathy, and respect, especially around Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the playoffs. It’s meant as a visible reminder to reject hate and division and to lean into dignity and shared humanity.

What “Choose Love” means in the NFL

  • The phrase is part of the NFL’s on‑field social justice slogans, alongside messages like “End Racism,” “Stop Hate,” and “Inspire Change.”
  • It highlights values tied to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy: dignity, empathy, and commitment to our shared humanity.
  • On helmets, it functions as a quick, readable statement urging players and fans to respond to injustice and conflict with empathy rather than anger or hate.

How it started

  • “Choose Love” was first used in 2022 when the Buffalo Bills adopted it as a unifying slogan after a racist mass shooting in Buffalo, New York.
  • The message later reappeared around the Super Bowl and other big games as part of the NFL’s broader Inspire Change efforts.
  • Over several seasons, teams have been able to select “Choose Love” as one of their end zone messages at home games.

Where you see it (helmets, fields, playoffs)

  • You’ll see “Choose Love” on the back of some players’ helmets as a small decal, alongside or instead of other approved social‑justice slogans.
  • During the 2026 divisional playoffs and Super Bowl, the league is featuring “Choose Love” in end zones, sometimes paired with “It Takes All of Us” on the opposite end.
  • These phrases are part of a multi‑year program where every home team chooses from a small set of messages to stencil in one end zone.

Different viewpoints and fan reaction

  • Supporters see “Choose Love” as a simple, positive push toward unity, kindness, and standing with marginalized communities.
  • Critics sometimes argue it is performative or that politics and social messages should stay out of sports, even with a phrase as mild as “Choose Love.”
  • The league frames it as a natural use of its platform and as one small part of broader work on social justice and community impact.

Related phrase: “Be Love”

  • You may also notice “Be Love” on some helmets; this ties directly to the King Center’s Be Love campaign, which calls on people to actively live out love in response to social tension and uncertainty.
  • Within the same program, “Choose Love” is more of a call to make a choice, while “Be Love” emphasizes embodying those values in daily behavior.

TL;DR: In NFL terms, “Choose Love” is a league‑approved slogan used on helmets and fields to honor Dr. King’s values and encourage fans and players to answer division, racism, and violence with empathy and unity.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.