NFL, NFLPA clarify celebration rules: Imitating drinking Will not trigger penalties or fines

The NFL and NFL Players Association jointly clarified Wednesday that imitating drinking a beverage will not be considered a violation or result in discipline, ending confusion over a category of touchdown celebrations that had already drawn fines against two players this season.

According to CBS Sports' reporting, the joint statement was issued as the league reversed penalties it had recently issued for exactly this type of celebration. The clarification represents a rare alignment between the league and the players' union on the boundaries of permissible player expression during games.

Kyle Juszczyk, the 49ers fullback, was fined $14,926 after Week 2 for what the NFL initially determined was an offensive demonstration. The league stated that Juszczyk's imitation of chugging a beer constituted conduct that could reasonably be construed as being in poor taste. According to ESPN's reporting cited in CBS Sports' account, Juszczyk told the network this has always been his celebration, an ode to his nickname "Juice." The NFL reversed his fine on Wednesday, hours before the joint statement appeared.

Jake Ferguson, the Cowboys tight end, faced an identical penalty path. In Week 3, Ferguson celebrated a touchdown by pretending to shotgun a beer. The NFL originally fined him $13,611, citing the same reasoning it had applied to Juszczyk: the celebration was an offensive demonstration that could reasonably be construed as being in poor taste. Ferguson explained the celebration was a longtime tribute to drinking Gatorade and appealed the fine. The league rescinded Ferguson's penalty on Wednesday.

The joint statement reminded players that several other conduct types could still result in a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, a fine, or both, according to CBS Sports' reporting. The statement did not list the complete set of prohibited conduct.

The reversed fines represent a concession by the league after both players challenged the initial disciplinary determinations, with the union backing the grievances and the two organizations ultimately aligning on the standard.