Why do NFL players have 'Be Love' on their helmets during Wild Card round? Exploring reasons for unique tradition

The NFL has its set of traditions that makes it special. One of its most celebrated customs is to get players wearing customized helmets during the wild-card round games, with the phrase "Be Love" written on the back of the headgear.

For all of the six wild-card matchups, players wore special helmets as the league honored the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Since Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated on Monday, Jan. 15, all players in the wild-card round had "MLK" decals and the words "Be Love" on their helmets. Furthermore, at the Raymond James Stadium, the slogan "Be Love" was written on one of the endzones.

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Which teams have qualified for the NFL Divisional Playoffs?

Houston Texans QB CJ Stroud has led the team to the NFL Divisional Playoff round in his rookie season

The Houston Texans beat the Cleveland Browns 45-14 on Saturday, becoming the first wild-card team to qualify for the Divisional round. The Kansas City Chiefs took down the Miami Dolphins 26-7 later on Saturday to qualify for the second round of the postseason.

On Sunday, the Green Bay Packers upset the Dallas Cowboys 48-32 in the early kickoff. For the SNF game, the Detroit Lions narrowly beat the Los Angeles Rams 24-23 to make it to the Divisional round.

On Monday, the Buffalo Bills took down the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-17 to become the fifth wild-card team to make it to the Divisional Round

The final NFL wild-card game of the 2023-24 season is taking place at the Raymond James Stadium, where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are hosting the Philadelphia Eagles. At the time of writing, the Buccaneers lead the contest 25-9 at the end of the third quarter. The winner of this contest will grab the final spot in the Divisional Round.

The No. 1 seeded AFC team Baltimore Ravens and the No. 1 seeded NFC team San Francisco 49ers will also join the six other teams in the Divisional Playoff round.