Controversial new NFL rule could cost Baker Mayfield if he doesn’t change

Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield and Dallas Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb will need to get creative with new celebrations after the NFL banned popular ones like the nose wipe

Late March is usually a dead part in the NFL calendar – free agency has mostly concluded (bar the current Aaron Rodgers ticking time bomb) and the NFL Draft is still a month away.

So, a combination of NFL teams and the league’s competition committee turn to another slightly less glamorous order of business: rule changes.

A new rule placing a sweeping ban on all unsportsmanlike conduct actions, including “nose wipes,” could particularly impact celebration-friendly Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield and Dallas Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb.

ESPN analyst Ben Solak flagged the rule buried on page 50 of the new rulebook. “I mean, cmon!” he tweeted to his over 150,000 followers. “Someone think of the children.

The rule (Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1d, Section 3: Unsportsmanlike Conduct) reads: “Article 1. Prohibited Acts: There shall be no unsportsmanlike conduct. This applies to any act which is contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship. Such acts specifically include, among others.”

Article d of the clause: “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, or an act that is sexually suggestive or offensive.”

The nose wipe was popularized by rapper Young Thug and his collective ‘YSL’ (Young Slime Life) and is in reference to a subset of East Coast members of the “Bloods” gang. It is often accompanied by the phrase “slatt.”

Lamb, who celebrates first downs by wiping his nose and then pointing in the direction the Dallas offense is moving, couldn’t help but chime in.

“Smh, I have plenty in mind,” he wrote, perhaps in reference to a slew of other celebrations he may think would also be penalized by the NFL.

Mayfield also pays homage to YSL with the celebration on occasion. The Tampa Bay quarterback is also known for many other gestures on the football field, including his famed crotch grab while staring down the Kansas State sideline in college.

Mayfield initially drew flak last season for an aggressive Italian-fingers rendition after scoring against the New York Giants, led by starter Tommy DeVito on the day.

The two-time Pro Bowler later referenced that his act was an homage: “It’s not a disrespectful thing,” Mayfield admitted during his post-game interview with CBS. “I met Tommy in Vegas at the Super Bowl last year – he’s got a lot of swag. The fans love him here so paying a little tribute to him.”

“It was a tribute to Tommy,” he continued. “He’s a good dude – He’s got swag….Yeah, New York fans love Tommy here and [I wanted to] give them something they like.”