The NFL is back to being the No Fun League.
Four years ago, the NFL relaxed its celebration rules, allowing players to have choreographed touchdown celebrations. It came after years of complaints from players and fans. And while the celebration rules remain relaxed, the NFL is still finding ways to take personality out of the game.
For the 2021 season, officials are being instructed to have added emphasis on enforcing taunting rules. Players can’t talk trash, gesture at or mock an opponent to celebrate a play, and two taunting penalties in a game for an individual player will result in an ejection. The ejection isn’t new, but the emphasis is.
To make matters worse, the NFL chose two of the tamest examples of taunting penalties.