Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield was fined by the NFL this week for a celebration that appeared harmless to most, but it is one that the league has cracked down on this season.
The NFL announced on Saturday that Mayfield and Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving have been fined for a celebration they did during Tampa Bay’s 20-17 Week 13 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Mayfield has been fined $14,491 and Irving $6,349 for a handshake that the NFL says included “violent gestures.”
The issue was the nose wipe gesture that both Mayfield and Irving did at the end of the pre-planned handshake, which came after Irving scored his first touchdown of the season.
These “violent gestures” resulted in a $14,491 fine for Baker Mayfield and a $6,349 fine for Bucky Irving: pic.twitter.com/9d6IGrmoS5
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 6, 2025
The NFL added the nose wipe to its list of banned gestures ahead of this season due to its “gang connotations.” The celebration was mostly made famous by Dallas Cowboys star CeeDee Lamb, who was openly annoyed after the gesture was banned.
While most fans will chalk the fines up to another example of the NFL’s “No Fun League” antics, that particularly gesture was explicitly banned in April. Mayfield and Irving were either unaware of that or felt the fines were worth it.
