With Donald Trump winning a second non-consecutive term as President of the United States, his reign so far has been marked by many of the richest and most powerful people in America bending the knee and kissing the ring.

It looks like the NFL may be next in line by subtly shelving its “End Racism” messaging.

In what can only be classified as conspicuous timing, the New York Times reports that the NFL will not display the “End Racism” message in the back of one of the Super Bowl endzones this year. Instead, the league will display messages of “Choose Love” and “It Takes All of Us.” The NFL has displayed the “End Racism” message during the last three Super Bowls.

In a statement to the Times, NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy says that the decision was made to choose those messages as inspirational ones after the terrorist attack in New Orleans last month as well as the LA wildfires and tragic plane crash in Washington D.C.

However, given the second Trump Administration’s assault on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and the fact that Trump will reportedly be attending the game as a guest of New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson, the optics are clear.

The switch, conveyed internally to high-level employees earlier this week, could be perceived as a nod to the current political climate. Following the lead of recently inaugurated President Donald Trump and his administration, many corporations and institutions are abandoning their diversity, equity and inclusion programs. While Goodell said Monday he was “proud” of the league’s diversity efforts, the decision to do away with “End Racism” as a slogan led at least one high-ranking league official to express concern in light of Trump’s divisive words on the subject.

However, NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy indicated that the decision was based on sensitivity to recent tragedies, including the terrorist attack in New Orleans’ French Quarter in January, the deadly wildfires in the Los Angeles area and the fatal air collision near Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C.

“We felt it was an appropriate statement for what the country has collectively endured, given recent tragedies, and can serve as an inspiration,” said McCarthy, who noted that “Choose Love” and “It Takes All of Us” also appeared in the end zones for this year’s AFC Championship Game in Kansas City. The NFC Championship Game in Philadelphia included “End Racism” as an end-zone slogan.

League sources also indicated that Trump is expected to attend Sunday’s game as a guest of New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson.

The timing is also curious given that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell boldly stood up for the league’s own DEI practices at his annual Super Bowl press conference on Monday. Goodell said the following yesterday as other companies around the country are shelving DEI initiatives to fall in line with Trump amid fear of retribution:

“We got into diversity efforts because we felt it was the right thing for the National Football League,” said Goodell. “And we’re gonna continue to do those efforts because we’ve not only convinced ourselves, I think we’ve proven to ourselves, that it does make the NFL better. 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 into the National Football League, both on and off the field… I think we’ll continue those efforts. I think it’s also clearly a reflection of our fanbase and our communities and our players.”

Perhaps this is an honest effort on the NFL’s part to pick the messages that they feel are right for the moment. But you simply cannot discount that it also avoids what would be a potential firestorm if the President of the United States went on Truth Social while at the Super Bowl and blasted out a screed about his own personal horror of seeing “End Racism” on a football field.

Donald Trump and his cohorts have a history of knocking the NFL and its players for making social statements that do not fit with his worldview, such as when Colin Kaepernick began kneeling for the National Anthem, or when former Vice President Mike Pence left an Indianapolis Colts game where players were doing the same.

There’s a whole different conversation to be had about the effectiveness of the NFL’s social justice messaging the last several years, including prominent displays of “End Racism” and other messages. But on Sunday, the Super Bowl and the NFL will go down a path of least resistance and not be swept up in the anti-DEI hysteria of the current Trump administration.