No, Philadelphia Eagles did not endorse Kamala Harris | Fact check

The claim: The Philadelphia Eagles endorsed Kamala Harris

A Sept. 2 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) shows a street sign depicting Vice President Kamala Harris carrying a football and wearing a helmet with the Philadelphia Eagles' logo.

“Kamala,” the sign reads. “Official Candidate of the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Instagram user wrote in the caption, “It appears The Philadelphia Eagles have endorsed Kamala Harris.”

The post was liked more than 400 times in three days.

More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page

Our rating: False

The Eagles have not endorsed any presidential candidate. The team said in a statement it was not behind the signs endorsing Harris and was working to have them removed.

Phony Eagles posters of Harris remain a case of ‘whodunnit’

Harris made a campaign stop in Pittsburgh on Labor Day – but her likeness also appeared in nearby Philadelphia, where several posters depicting her in an Eagles helmet were discovered at bus stops around the city.

However, neither the football team nor Harris’ campaign are behind the signs. The Eagles have not endorsed Harris, or any candidate, for president.

The team wrote in a Sept. 2 post on X, formerly Twitter, that it was aware of the “counterfeit political ads” and was “working with our advertising partner to have them removed.”

Team spokesperson Bob Lange told USA TODAY the statement remained the same, and there were no updates. Lauren Hitt, spokesperson for the Harris campaign, told USA TODAY that they didn’t have anything to do with the ads, either.

Fact check: No, NFL didn't say Packers, Eagles couldn't wear green in Brazil

It’s not yet clear who is behind the posters. Matthew Cassidy, a spokesperson for the City of Philadelphia, told USA TODAY that “whomever is responsible for the illegally placed posters broke into the securely covered shelter ad space and somehow placed the posters in the space.”

Intersection, an advertising agency that handles the ad spaces in Philadelphia’s bus shelters, also stated that they were not responsible for the posters. Intersection’s president, Scott Goldsmith, told USA TODAY the agency considers the incident not only vandalism but theft – because the people responsible “stole both existing advertising copy and the paid advertising space.”

“The revenue generated from these ads is vital, as a portion goes to the city and helps maintain the bus shelters, which are valuable amenities for the citizens of Philadelphia. When ads are illegally removed or replaced, it undermines our ability to generate revenue and support the overall bus shelter program.”

USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Our fact-check sources:

• Bob Lange, Sept. 3, Email exchange with USA TODAY

• Lauren Hitt, Sept. 3, Email exchange with USA TODAY

• Matthew Cassidy, Sept. 3-4, Email exchange with USA TODAY

• Scott Goldsmith, Sept. 4, Email exchange with USA TODAY

• @Eagles, Sept. 2, X post

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The Eagles did not endorse Kamala Harris for president | Fact check