Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has a bone to pick with the officiating in the NFL.
In Week 15’s game between the Lions and the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., St. Brown and teammates Jahmyr Gibbs and Jameson Williams were all told by the refs that they couldn’t mimic picking their noses and flicking the booger away when celebrating on the field.
At least that’s what St. Brown said in an episode of the ” St. Brown Podcast.”
“We do it on the first drive. Our receiver coach comes through after the first drive, ‘Hey man, ref said you guys can’t do that no more,’” St. Brown revealed. “I’m like, what the f–k,” he added.
"NFL, why can't I dig in my nose and flick it? What is bad about that?"
— St. Brown Podcast (@StBrownPodcast) December 17, 2025
After Amon-Ra, Jameson Williams and Jahmyr Gibbs all did the booger flicking celebration on the Lions first drive vs. the Rams, the refs told the Lions it would be a penalty if anyone did it again. https://t.co/pDHse20xat pic.twitter.com/83lBqcvYmC
St. Brown then asked the league directly: “NFL, why can’t I dig in my nose and flick it? What is bad about that?”
Flicking imaginary boogers does seem like a pretty harmless gesture, but the refs were not having it that day, apparently.
The NFL has made a clear effort to crack down on some celebratory gestures, including the nose wipe celly. Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield was already fined for doing it back in Week 13. But what St. Brown and his teammates did doesn’t fall under that category.
Perhaps the safest route to take here is to just avoid involving the nose completely when celebrating on the field.
