Conflicts have simmered between the NFL and the players since the season started over the league’s strictness about how players celebrated this year. While most of the fines still stand, a particular fine involving San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk and other players has been overturned as a legal celebration.

“The league has clarified that celebrations depicting drinking a beverage will not be violations nor result in discipline,” senior NFL insider at ESPN Adam Schefter wrote on X. “An example of the NFLPA and the league trying to work together to solve an issue.”

The clarification reversed earlier enforcement, effectively legalizing a celebration the league had previously penalized. In a joint statement, the NFL and NFLPA clarified that this celebration is now legal, while also noting that other celebrations will remain prohibited and can result in a “15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, a fine, or both.”

These include gestures that depict violence, such as using guns or other weapons, or gang-related signs; gestures that depict smoking or substance use; gestures that are sexual in nature.

This comes after the league had earlier fined Juszczyk and others for pantomiming drinking a beer, after which some of the players had appealed their fines. Juszczyk was earlier fined $29,852 (Two fines of $14,926) in Week 2 for a celebration in which he was pretending to chug “Juice,” also his nickname, but the NFL classified it as chugging alcohol and fined him accordingly.

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson was also among the ones who were fined $13,611 for the same manner of celebration in Week 2, which the NFL deemed as “shotgunning a beer, while also calling it “offensive” and a “vulgar act.” Ferguson later explained that the pantomime was an homage to an invisible, ice-cold Gatorade, not a beer, a drink he regularly shotguns during practices. Schefter also backed his claim, reporting that the team had documented his love for the drinking company before.

Both players’ fines have now been rescinded by the league, but there was yet another player waiting for the decision. Indianapolis Colts guard Matt Goncalves also received a fine of $8,847 for the same, but said on Wednesday that he hasn’t “heard anything yet” regarding his fine, although the fine will likely be rescinded as well.

The decision may not have come so easily, as the NFL was being criticized earlier specifically for handing out fines for pantomiming drinking, with fans calling it hypocrisy, as the NFL has partnerships with multiple beer companies serving a huge portion of their corporate sponsors; Pernod Ricard is the official spirits sponsor this year, with Jameson Irish Whiskey as the lead brand.

It was also the most debated issue, as the NFL had previously allowed drinking celebrations during games. Another thing was the fact that the players were getting agitated by the recurring fines, which affected their pockets as well, with the executive director of the NFLPA, JC Tretter, addressing players’ concerns in a statement.

“Over Weeks 2 and 3, there were 20 fines for celebrations — an unusual spike,” Tretter said. “All 20 fines were appealed and are now before the neutral appeal officers, with some already being overturned.”

But this one particular celebration was the only problem the NFLPA and the players had with the league; there was another issue that the players were getting frustrated with.

The NFL clarifies about informing players during “gray area” situations

The NFL imposed stricter rules this year to curb vulgar celebrations, as teenagers and children were among the league’s viewers. Still, according to the NFLPA, the league never specified what celebrations would be deemed an “illegal celebration” or an “obscene gesture.” Tretter said that the NFLPA “raised this issue and pushed for greater clarity around what will and won’t result in discipline.”

But the problems didn’t end there. Juszczyk earlier said that he came to know about both of his fines “by somebody else before the league told” him, and that bothered him. Tretter said that the NFLPA addressed this “gray area” with the league as well.

“When something falls into a gray area, communication and education should come before punishment. We’re glad the league will seek to educate players before immediately defaulting to a fine,” Tretter said.

The league also clarified in its statement that it will “contact the player and provide direction” before fining him or taking any other action in gray area situations. With the NFL certifying the drinking celebration, some players will be relieved they won’t lose money for doing what they did before to celebrate touchdowns and wins.