The NFL just dropped the hammer on one of pro football’s oldest traditions.
Players across the league are scrambling to figure out how they’ll get their pre-game energy boost.
And George Kittle made one joke about smelling salts that exposed how addicted NFL players really are.
NFL bans smelling salts after FDA warning about safety risks
The National Football League sent a memo to all teams this week that’s got players like San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle in a state of mock despair.
The league officially banned ammonia inhalants – commonly known as smelling salts – from being provided or supplied by teams in any form.¹
The ban covers all team activities including before games, during games, at halftime, in locker rooms, and along the sidelines.
Players have been using these ammonia packets for decades to get a quick jolt of alertness before taking the field.
But the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning in 2024 about the lack of evidence supporting the safety or efficacy of these products.²
The FDA noted that smelling salts have led to "adverse events such as shortness of breath, seizures, migraines, vomiting, diarrhea, and fainting."
More concerning for a league dealing with concussion issues, the substances "have the potential to mask certain neurological signs and symptoms, including some potential signs of concussion."
The timing of this ban couldn’t be worse for players who’ve become dependent on these energy boosters.
George Kittle’s hilarious reaction reveals the depth of player dependence
During a surprise guest appearance on NFL Network while they were interviewing his teammate Fred Warner, Kittle delivered what he called an "airing of grievances."
"Our team got a memo today that smelling salts and ammonia packets were made illegal in the NFL, and I’ve been distraught all day," the 31-year-old tight end said with obvious humor.³
But his next revelation showed just how ingrained these substances had become in players’ routines.
Kittle admitted he was an "every-drive guy" when it came to using smelling salts.
That means he was hitting ammonia inhalants before every single offensive possession – potentially dozens of times per game.
"I considered retirement," Kittle joked. "We have got to figure out a middle ground here, guys. Somebody help me out. Somebody come up with a good idea."
Warner backed up his teammate’s comedic despair, laughing as he told the interviewer, "He even said, he’s not practicing anymore."
The humor masked a real issue – if players were using these substances before every drive, it suggests a level of psychological if not physical dependence that goes far beyond what most fans probably realized.
The ban exposes how dependent modern NFL players have become on chemical enhancement
Kittle’s joking reaction actually revealed something more serious about the modern NFL.
If a star player like Kittle was using smelling salts before every single drive, how many other players across the league had developed similar routines?
The NFL’s decision to ban these substances suggests the league was seeing widespread usage that concerned medical officials.
For decades, smelling salts were just seen as a harmless way to get a quick energy boost.
But the FDA’s warning about seizures, breathing problems, and the potential to mask concussion symptoms changed everything.
The league can’t afford to have players using substances that might hide brain injury symptoms when they’re already facing billions in concussion-related lawsuits.
Kittle’s humorous confession about being an "every-drive guy" probably describes hundreds of other NFL players who’ve become psychologically dependent on these chemical jolts.
Now they’ll have to find new ways to get amped up for game situations.
The ban forces players to rely on natural adrenaline and mental preparation instead of chemical stimulation.
It’s probably healthier in the long run, but Kittle’s mock despair shows just how much modern players had come to rely on these little packets of ammonia.
The NFL made the right call prioritizing player safety over tradition.
But don’t expect players to be happy about losing their chemical edge anytime soon.
¹ Anna Lazarus Caplan, "NFL Players Were Using Smelling Salts for a Jolt Before Games. Now It’s Banned for Safety," PEOPLE, August 6, 2025.
² Ibid.
³ Ibid.
