NFL players no longer need to raise a stink about the use of smelling salts.
After the league issued a memo Tuesday announcing that clubs could no longer provide ammonia to players, San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle and others decried the ruling.
The NFL clarified the policy on Wednesday, telling the NFL Players Association that players could still use smelling salts that they supply themselves, ESPN reported.
Per the report, the union reported to its membership, “We were not notified of this club policy change before the (Tuesday) memo was sent out. To clarify, this policy does not prohibit player use of these substances, but rather it restricts clubs from providing or supplying them in any form. The NFL has confirmed this to us.”
Kittle had interrupted an NFL Network interview at training camp on Tuesday to “air a grievance” about the policy.
“Our team had a memo today that smelling salts and ammonia packets were made illegal in the NFL, and I’ve been distraught all day,” said Kittle, who added that he uses the substances on “every drive.”
The NFL wrote in its memo to teams, per ESPN, “In 2024, the FDA issued a warning to companies that produce commercially available ammonia inhalants (AIs), as well as to consumers about the purchase and use of AIs, regarding the lack of evidence supporting the safety or efficacy of AIs marketed for improving mental alertness or boosting energy. The FDA noted potential negative effects from AI use. AIs also have the potential to mask certain neurological signs and symptoms, including some potential signs of concussion.”
Kittle, 31, is far from the only NFL player who regularly uses smelling salts, and athletes in other sports use it as well, including ice hockey.
The six-time Pro Bowler said he has always used them for a boost of energy, joking that the change made him consider hanging up his cleats.
“I considered retirement,” Kittle said. “We have got to figure out a middle ground here, guys. Somebody help me out. Somebody come up with a good idea. That’s all I had to get out there. Get that off my chest.”
–Field Level Media
