The NFL made clear it is cracking down on unsportsmanlike celebrations entering the 2025 season. The new emphasis already had an impact in the preseason.
After stuffing Los Angeles Rams running back Jarquez Hunter in the backfield in their final game of the preseason, Cleveland Browns third-year defensive end Isaiah McGuire stomped in celebration and then did the “nose wipe.” He was immediately flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct as the recognizable “nose wipe,” made popular by Dallas Cowboys star CeeDee Lamb, is one of several gestures now explicitly banned per the NFL rulebook.
In April, NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent told reporters that “violent gestures” used by players increased by 133 percent from the previous season. Vincent said the “nose wipe” was banned due to its “gang connotations.”
The rule book now states “any violent gesture, which shall include, but not be limited to, a throat slash, simulating firing or brandishing a gun, or using the ‘nose wipe’ gesture,” is prohibited. Unsportsmanlike conduct penalties result in a loss of 15 yards.
Celebration policing wasn’t the only change to the league rule book this offseason. Read below for the other notable rule changes for 2025.
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NFL 2025 rule changes: Celebration penalties, expanded instant replay and more