The NFL has once again expanded its list of gestures that will trigger an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, and former quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick wants to know why.
Earlier this week, the NFL sent a report to teams highlighting new rules or changes for the 2025 season. In the section regarding rules for unsportsmanlike conduct infractions, the “nose wipe” gesture has been listed as a prohibited act. The gesture has been added to a list that already included the throat slash, simulating firing or brandishing a gun and sexually suggestive acts.
Like many others, Fitzpatrick does not understand why the nose wipe gesture is an issue.
“Would love to get an owner to explain what the nose wipe gesture means and why it is being penalized … I swear I’m hip but I still don’t know what it means,” Fitzpatrick wrote on X Tuesday.
Would love to get an owner to explain what the nose wipe gesture means and why it is being penalized
— Ryan Fitzpatrick (@FitzMagic_14) April 1, 2025
I swear I’m hip but I still don’t know what it means
The NFL cited “gang connotations” as the reason the nose wipe gesture has been banned. The gesture has apparently been associated with the Bloods gang and is used to indicate that someone cannot be trusted.
Dallas Cowboys star CeeDee Lamb has frequently used the nose wipe celebration, and he shared his reaction to the ban this week.
The NFL has been criticized for adding seemingly innocent gestures to its list of unsportsmanlike conduct acts, but that has not deterred the league.
Don’t feel bad, Fitz, most people had no idea why the nose wipe became an issue.
