NFL ‘nose wipe’ ban sparks questions over gang affiliation

The NFL updated its list of banned gestures in a report sent to every team that has many fans confused over the included “nose wipe” celebration.

The league sent the new rules to all 32 teams and, as ESPN analyst Benjamin Solak reported, included the “prohibited acts” list under the unsportsmanlike conduct section.

“According to the full rules report sent to NFL teams this week, the ‘nose wipe’ celebration is now a 15 yard penalty for being a ‘violent gesture,'” Solak wrote on X, with a screenshot from the rulebook.

In addition to stating that players are to follow the “generally understood principles of sportsmanship,” the league included other specific acts that are considered “violent” gestures.

“Throat slash, simulating firing or brandishing a gun, or using the ‘nose wipe’ gesture, or an act that is sexually suggestive or offensive” are all fineable offenses, the league wrote.

The NFL has famously fined players for celebrations like the “crotch grab,” an ode to former player Marshawn Lynch, as well as for using finger guns, a harmless act performed even by top stars like Patrick Mahomes, who received a fine for the gesture last season.

The inclusion of the “nose wipe” gesture had fans scratching their heads, especially considering it has become somewhat of a signature celebration for Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.

Lamb even shared Solak’s report and added that he certainly had “plenty” other celebrations in mind for what could be considered a violent gesture. The Cowboy then shared a clip of him doing the celebration after a catch.

What does it mean?

Several reports indicate the gesture does not have the harmless origins that finger guns, or perhaps wearing different colored shoes (another fineable offense), may have.

According to NBC Sports’ Pro Football Talk, the nose wipe is a gang sign associated with the Bloods, which indicates someone is untrustworthy.

The Baltimore Sun reported similarly in 2019 and said someone who wipes the tip of his nose with his index finger could mean “I don’t trust him” if a member of the Bloods.

As well, a Virginia State Police intelligence report on the Bloods from 2008 listed the rubbing of one’s nose as a sign that he doesn’t have a weapon and wiping the face to identify police, but there is nothing specifically about a nose wipe.

The term has been used by rappers for at least a decade, several of whom have alleged gang affiliations. However, it is impossible to tell Lamb’s specific meaning behind the celebration, which he has reportedly used since he entered the NFL in 2020.

This wouldn’t be the first time the league handed out fines for seemingly inexplicable reasons; the NFL has flip-flopped numerous times on what it deems to be inappropriate.

Specifically, giant red kettles, which are novelty Christmas decorations from charity organization the Salvation Army, have spawned occasional fines when players have jumped into them. Other times, no fines were handed out to players who did the same celebratory jump.

The mixed messaging confused Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown, who accused the league of baiting players into fine-worthy acts.

In total, the NFL fined players nearly $12.5 million in 2024, a sum significantly more than in 2021 ($7.1 million) but significantly less than in 2019 ($27.8 million).

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