Are the Eagles endorsing Kamala Harris for president? Debunking rumor that Philadelphia has 'official candidate'

Gilbert McGregor

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Are the Eagles endorsing Kamala Harris for president? Debunking rumor that Philadelphia has 'official candidate' image

Counterfeit political advertisements featuring Philadelphia Eagles' branding have recently circulated throughout the city of Philadephia and on social media.

The advertisement has been spotted at Philadelphia bus stops and features an animated side profile of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris wearing an Eagles helmet and a message of endorsement. While it features Eagles branding, it is not a real advertisement.

With photos of the bus stop circulating social media, the franchise has clarified its position and delegitimized the advertisement's authenticity. Here is what the Eagles have said about the advertisement and how the NFL has historically approached elections.

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Are the Eagles endorsing Kamala Harris for president?

No, the Eagles are not endorsing Kamala Harris for president. The franchise shared a statement on X (formerly Twitter) saying "We are aware counterfeit political ads are being circulated and are working with our advertising partner to have them removed."

As the statement indicates, the advertisement is an unauthorized use of Eagles branding.

The Philadelphia Eagles Voting website does not mention any political candidate nor an "official" candidate of the franchise. The site front features resources for voters in Pennsylvania, including voting information, education resources and ways to get involved.

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Has an NFL team ever endorsed a political candidate?

There is no known example of an NFL team endorsing a political candidate ahead of an election. In 2020, the league began the NFL Votes initiative, which is nonpartisan and encourages voting and civic engagement throughout the NFL and its communities.

A franchise endorsement of a specific candidate would contradict the nonpartisan purpose of the initiative and, therefore, has not been done.

Gilbert McGregor

Gilbert McGregor Photo

Gilbert McGregor first joined The Sporting News in 2018 as a content producer for Global editions of NBA.com. Before covering the game, McGregor played basketball collegiately at Wake Forest, graduating with a Communication degree in 2016. McGregor began covering the NBA during the 2017-18 season and has been on hand for a number of league events.