Former NFL player Jack Brewer recently engaged with officials from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in Washington, D.C., to advocate for federal scrutiny of the league’s policy regarding player expression. Brewer's primary focus is the NFL’s decision to fine Arizona Cardinals cornerback Kei’Trel Clark for displaying a religious message on his eye black.
Clark incurred a fine of $6,651 after wearing eye black that read "Glory Be 2 God" during the Cardinals' Week 1 victory against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Brewer, who is an ordained Christian minister and a member of the federal Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys, stated that his meeting aimed to assess whether the NFL's treatment of Clark could constitute an issue of employment discrimination.
"When you start talking about freedom of speech in this country and you start talking about employees’ rights in this country, it’s a big deal," Brewer commented. "As a Christian man, I’m not going to stand for that. And as a former NFL player, I’m not going to stand for that."
Brewer described the meeting as "very well received" and expressed confidence that further discussions with the agency would ensue.
"The goal was to first understand: Do we have a potential case? What does that look like? What would the player’s rights be?" Brewer explained. "My goal was just to establish some communication and talk about next steps, which we did. And so now we’ll start to work to gather information and get a deeper understanding of really what goes on in the minds of a league like the National Football League."
Challenging the League's Policy
Brewer initially brought the issue to light in a letter dated September 25, addressed to EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas. In the correspondence, Brewer requested a meeting to discuss the fine and the NFL’s policies governing religious expression.
"The NFL treated Clark’s gratitude to God, as expressed in four words, as a punishable personal message," Brewer wrote in the letter. "This fine represents an action that strikes at the heart of religious liberty and sends a chilling message to every person of faith in professional sports."
Brewer urged the EEOC to consider whether the NFL should be obligated to accommodate a player’s sincere religious expression, provided such accommodation would not impose an undue hardship on the league or its teams.
Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, employers are required to reasonably accommodate employees’ sincerely held religious beliefs and practices, unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the employer’s business. A 2023 Supreme Court decision, Groff v. DeJoy, clarified that an employer must demonstrate that an accommodation would create "substantial increased costs" relative to its specific business operations.
However, the meeting with Brewer does not signify that the EEOC has initiated an investigation or concluded that the NFL has violated federal law. Any potential case would necessitate a detailed, fact-specific examination, which could include analyzing Clark’s employment relationship with both the Cardinals and the NFL, determining if he formally requested a religious accommodation, and assessing the impact an exception to the uniform rule would have on the league’s operations.
While an individual or organization can file an EEOC charge on behalf of another person, Brewer did not confirm that a formal charge had been filed in this instance.
NFL Rules and Player Reactions
The NFL cited Rule 5, Section 4, Article 8 in its disciplinary letter to Clark. This rule prohibits players from displaying personal messages, whether written or illustrated, on game day unless they have received prior approval from the league office.
Clark publicly shared the fine notice on social media, stating that he "needed answers."
"I got to report to God at the end of my days on the day of judgment," Clark wrote. "I’ll always give God the glory and out loud. All good."
Brewer contended that allowing four words on a player’s eye black would impose minimal burden on a multi-billion-dollar sports organization.
"If someone’s writing things across their uniform or putting it out there on top of their helmet, that’s a different story," Brewer said. "But the eye black — think back to Tim Tebow and many, many other athletes, myself. We would write stuff on our tapes, on our forearms. We would write stuff on our eye black.
"To think about fining someone for doing that, it’s unconscionable," he added. "It’s disgusting."
Addressing Inconsistent Application
The NFL’s rule does not differentiate between religious and political messages. Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, a practicing Muslim, was fined $11,492 this month for wearing eye black bearing the name "Hind Rajab," a Palestinian girl who died in Gaza in 2024. Al-Shaair had also been fined $11,593 for displaying the message "Stop the genocide" during a previous postseason.
When asked if Al-Shaair should receive the same protections he is seeking for Clark, Brewer initially drew a distinction between expressions of faith and political statements. However, he ultimately concluded that the NFL must apply its restrictions consistently, especially while simultaneously promoting its own league-approved social messages.
"I think he should be just as protected," Brewer said of Al-Shaair. "If you’re going to pull down the messaging, pull it all down, but don’t pick and choose."
The NFL has continued to display league-approved social justice messages in stadium end zones and on players’ helmets. Teams are permitted to select from phrases such as "End Racism," "Stop Hate," "Choose Love," and "Inspire Change." The league has also actively promoted LGBTQ inclusion through various team and league initiatives.
Brewer argued that this disparity between league-selected messages and unauthorized player expression creates a double standard.
"You cannot treat people differently based upon whatever it is you want to promote," Brewer asserted. "If you are an organization like the National Football League, you cannot pick and choose the messaging that you want your players to play underneath."
A Call for Unity and Freedom of Expression
Brewer stated that his immediate goal is to garner support among both current and former players, with the ultimate aim of compelling the NFL to reconsider its approach to religious expression.
"I want players across the National Football League, current and former, to take a stand, to show unity on something," he declared. "As a National Football League player, you should be able to use your platform to profess the gospel, to profess your God and to write it on your eye black."
Brewer emphasized that he would extend his support to players of other faiths seeking similar accommodations.
"I don’t care what religion you are," Brewer affirmed. "If you want to have the Star of David on, or you want to say, ‘Thank you, Allah,’ you have every right to do that in this country. That’s what makes this country so great."
The NFL has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding these developments.
