The NFL continues to mourn the loss of John Madden, who unexpectedly passed away this week at the age of 85. Following the news of his death, there has been an outpouring of tributes to the head coach and broadcasting legend, and the NFL is preparing for more of that in Week 17. In a memo to all 32 teams, obtained by Adam Schefter of ESPN, commissioner Roger Goodell has asked that all home teams hold a moment of silence in honor of Madden.
The moment of silence will come just prior to the national anthem and the memo included a suggested announcement for the various public address announcers.
"Ladies and gentlemen, earlier this week the NFL family lost a Hall of Fame coach, broadcaster and friend with the passing of John Madden. At this time, please stand and join in a moment of silent reflection in memory of John Madden, who had an indelible impact on football, the NFL and generations of fans."
There will then be a seven-second moment of silence before the anthem begins.
As Goodell characterized him in the memo, Madden was a "true giant" in the NFL whose impact stretches across generations. He was a highly successful coach with the Raiders that found him enshrined in Canton in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006, a legendary broadcaster that covered 11 Super Bowls, and is the creator of the iconic 'Madden NFL' video game.
Naturally, there will likely be even more tributes to come over the Week 17 slate, especially with organizations that Madden had a direct impact on, but this moment of silence will be a nod across the league for one of the NFL's most recognizable icons.
