Baker Mayfield gets fined by NFL for a “violent gesture” that was actually a nose wipe

Drew Smith
December 7, 2025
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The NFL is back at it again with another classic No Fun League moment. Baker Mayfield was fined $14,491 and Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving was hit with a $6,349 fine for a celebration that most fans barely noticed.

The NFL ruled that their post-touchdown handshake in Week 13 included “violent gestures.” The dangerous act in question was a synchronized nose wipe.

After Bucky Irving scored his first rushing touchdown of the season in Tampa Bay’s 20-17 win over the Cardinals, he and Baker Mayfield went through a short handshake routine that ended with both players wiping their noses and flicking their fingers downward.

That was it. No taunting, no spiking a helmet at someone’s face, no group choreographed routine. Just a nose wipe.

Baker Mayfield gets fined by NFL for a “violent gesture”

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

Fans saw the clip and assumed the fines were a joke. Unfortunately for the Buccaneers, the NFL is not laughing. The league added the nose wipe to its banned gesture list back in April, arguing that it carries “gang connotations” and is considered disrespectful.

The move was originally associated with CeeDee Lamb, who made it a staple in Dallas before the league shut it down. Lamb was vocal about how ridiculous he thought the ban was and plenty of fans agreed.

Baker Mayfield and Bucky Irving either did not know the gesture was outlawed or decided it was worth the cost. Judging by the reaction online, most people had no idea this rule even existed and could not understand how the NFL arrived at the term “violent gestures” for a celebration that looked more like a seasonal allergy check.

As expected, fans immediately roasted the league. People joked about how traumatizing the nose wipe was and others used it as another example of how far the NFL has leaned into policing celebrations instead of focusing on things that actually matter.

The fines stand and the message is clear. The NFL is completely done with the nose swipe. If players want to celebrate touchdowns, they better stick to something safe, like aggressively handing the ball to a referee or gently clapping twice.