Remember when Josh Allen smacked his head on the turf and then sniffed a smelling salt before running back out? It happened during Week 5 last season when the Buffalo Bills faced the Houston Texans. Allen had just taken another heavy hit, his second in as many weeks, after a similar blow during a loss to the Ravens. Face down on the turf again, Allen grabbed a sniff of ammonia and went out on the field to keep playing. But did that little puff fix anything? Absolutely not. 

Smelling salts don’t reverse head trauma – they only mask it. Players have been turning to smelling salts more than ever in recent years. They use them for a quick burst of alertness. But here’s the catch: medical experts and league officials haven’t been on board with this trend. So, what’s the reason?

According to medical experts, ammonia-based inhalants might do more harm than good. Doctors have warned that smelling salts can interfere with concussion protocols, especially if players use them to stay in the game after a big hit. That’s a serious issue. Should players be allowed to sniff their way back into action when they might have a brain injury? Clearly, the NFL didn’t think so.

In a major move, the league just banned ammonia inhalants – capsules, inhalers, and even the old-school “cup” method – starting with the 2025 season. A memo sent to all 32 teams clearly stated that“effective for the 2025 NFL season, clubs are prohibited from providing or supplying ammonia in any form at NFL games.” The rule applies during pregame, halftime, and across the sidelines and locker rooms. So what triggered this sudden decision?

The final push came from a 2024 warning issued by the FDA last August. The agency called out companies selling these inhalants, pointing out that there’s zero proof they’re safe or even effective for boosting energy or mental focus. Even worse, they might hide signs of serious issues – like concussions. The NFL’s Head, Neck, and Spine Committee took notice. Their response? 

The Committee has given a full-on recommendation to prohibit ammonia inhalants altogether. The goal: make sure players don’t mask symptoms just to get back on the field. But let’s be honest, shouldn’t this have happened sooner? Medical professionals have warned about these risks for years. Yet it took an FDA warning to get the NFL to act. That delay is frustrating. Still, not everyone’s thrilled. The backlash came fast and loud.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle couldn’t hide his frustration. During a teammate’s NFL Network interview, Kittle jumped in and joked, “I’ve been distraught all day… I considered retirement.” The tight end already had retirement plans, but he even begged for a compromise: “Somebody help me out. Somebody come up with a good idea. I miss those already.” And Kittle wasn’t alone. Fans flooded social media with hot takes.

Fans react to the NFL banning smelling salts for players 

Turns out smelling salts aren’t just a quirky sideline habit anymore. They’ve become a symbol of a deeper issue – how far the NFL is willing to go to protect its players. As the news of the ban on the smelling salts in the NFL went viral, many fans called it an overreach. “The NFL is seriously overreaching. Not everything in the game needs to be touched and changed,” one fan wrote. And many fans agreed with this sentiment. 

Another fan questioned the league’s priorities: “The NFL finally banning smelling salts feels like they’re addressing the smallest safety issue while ignoring the bigger brain injury problems. Are they just checking boxes at this point?” That’s a concern indeed. But some fans have also suggested a middle ground as one wrote, “They shouldnt ban them fully because they do help somebody wake up or regain some consciousness… should’ve just done a rule where if they really have to be used, the player cannot come back to the game simple as that… if you take it all out how tf is the knocked out player going to wake up now??? By chance??? Cold water over their face???” That is a valid question. But risking players’ long-term health doesn’t seem like a good option either. 

Meanwhile, others have also looked back nostalgically at the old-school days, like George Kittle did. A fan from the older generation wrote, “Players from the 40s-70s would laugh at today’s game.  I get that the modern game wants to protect players, but back in the day? These guys played banged up, bruised, broken bones, and with bad intent. Like UFC but with a football!🏈” But here’s the real question: Should tradition outweigh player safety?

Football’s always been about toughness. But toughness without caution? That’s a dangerous game. This ban may feel like a small change, but it looks like a step in the right direction. Maybe not perfect. Maybe too late. But it seems necessary. And let’s be real, players will adjust. They always do. Either way, one thing’s clear: the NFL isn’t sniffing around anymore. The league is drawing the line.