QB Jalen Hurts Shocks NFL by Bluntly Refusing to Wear Captain’s Armband With LGBT Symbol During Transgender Awareness Week. Calls the “WOKE” Program Unworthy of Honor

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. November 15, 2025

The Philadelphia Eagles took the field at Lincoln Financial Field today expecting the usual pregame energy. but instead found themselves at the center of the NFL’s newest controversy. Just minutes before kickoff. quarterback Jalen Hurts stunned team officials and reporters by refusing to wear the special captain’s armband featuring the LGBT symbol. an item the league encouraged captains to wear in recognition of Transgender Awareness Week.

While most captains across the league quietly complied with the initiative. Hurts chose a different path. And he did so at the most explosive possible moment. with cameras rolling. fans filling the stadium. and the Eagles only moments away from their Week 11 showdown.

During a brief but tense media availability in the tunnel. Hurts remained calm. Then with just a few words. he froze the entire room.

“I respect everyone. but this is not something that feels right for me. Football is where my focus belongs. and I don’t want messages like this brought into the game. I don’t want to wear that captain’s armband. There are things inside this building that matter more. things people on the outside don’t understand. and I don’t want to represent something that isn’t who I am. At the end of the day. I just want to play football the way it’s meant to be played.”

Within minutes. social media exploded. Hashtags like #HurtsChoice and #HurtsLetUsDown shot up the trending lists. Advocacy groups criticized his timing as “deeply hurtful during a crucial week of awareness.” while a significant number of fans across Pennsylvania and beyond defended him for “staying true to himself.”

Inside the Eagles locker room. reactions were mixed. Some teammates understood Hurts’ decision. while others quietly admitted the timing couldn’t have been worse. especially with the team preparing for one of the most important games of their season.

Head coach Nick Sirianni avoided engaging in the cultural debate. offering only a short response that the team “respects every individual’s perspective” and that their focus remains entirely on the game unfolding on the field.

Even before kickoff. the story had already overtaken all coverage of the matchup. Broadcast crews shifted their pregame scripts. national sports shows broke into live discussion. and reporters scrambled to update headlines as Hurts jogged out of the tunnel without the captain’s armband on his arm.

In a week dedicated to raising awareness for the transgender community. a single pregame decision by Jalen Hurts has ignited the NFL’s latest cultural firestorm. And as he takes his first snap. all eyes will be watching not only how he performs. but whether he has just triggered the biggest controversy of the season.