Cristiano Ronaldo may be miles away from the NFL, but his “Siuuu” celebration has somehow become a familiar sight on football fields too. NFL players have been picking up the iconic move, and while some clearly love it, former Raiders quarterback Derek Carr is not exactly a fan.
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“NFL players, we are begging you,” shared Derek Carr on his Home Grown Network podcast with his brother David Carr. “Please stop doing this celebration. I can’t take it anymore. At what point did every NFL player decide that they were Cristiano Ronaldo? Can we please officially retire this celebration from the NFL? I care about your health.”
The first time Ronaldo casually shouted “Sí” came during a 2013 preseason game against Chelsea in the United States. But hardly did he realize that his iconic celebration would one day become a phenomenon. The celebration evolved into its now-famous sequence: Ronaldo sprints away, leaps into the air, spins, then lands with his feet spread wide and his arms thrown down by his sides before shouting, “Siuuu!” It caught global attention when he pulled it off on stage while accepting the 2014 Ballon d’Or.
“It seems to have grown into its own global phenomenon,” shared Ronaldo in an interview.
Gradually, NFL players, too, have picked up Ronaldo’s signature style of celebration, especially since it originated in the USA.
“Well, I was in USA, and we play against Chelsea,” Ronaldo recalled in an interview with Soccer.com. “I don’t know where this coming from, celebration. I just scored a goal, and I did this… ‘Siuuu.'”
Davante Adams was among the NFL players to embrace the celebration in 2025, performing Ronaldo’s “Siuuu” after his third touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. It has been only two weeks into the season, and Jaxson Smith-Njigba and Aidan Hutchinson are already jumping on the trend.
Smith-Njigba celebrated his spectacular 82-yard touchdown for the Seattle Seahawks with Cristiano Ronaldo’s famous “Siuuu” celebration. The moment came during Seattle’s 31-7 win over the Arizona Cardinals on September 20, 2026. After catching a deep pass and breaking away for the score, Smith-Njigba sprinted into the end zone, jumped into the air, spun, and landed in Ronaldo’s signature stance with his arms extended downward.
Hutchinson has also embraced Ronaldo’s celebration in 2026, prompting some Lions fans to question whether the move is worth the potential injury risk. After all, they have seen Stephen Tulloch tear his ACL doing a similar celebration while trying to mimic Aaron Rodgers’s touchdown dance.
The celebration typically ends with a wide-legged landing and straightened knees. A poor landing, however, can cause the knee to cave inward under heavy force, creating dynamic valgus. That type of movement can place the ACL and meniscus under significant stress. Also, unlike lean, wiry soccer players, NFL players, especially defensive linemen and linebackers like Aidan Hutchinson, often weigh anywhere from 240 to 300+ lbs. That puts them at higher risk of injury.
So, when soccer players are getting injured while doing the celebration, it comes as a big warning for NFL players.
Back in 2023, Tran Hong Kien attempted to imitate Ronaldo’s iconic celebration after scoring for Viettel FC, running toward the sideline before launching into the move. He landed awkwardly, injured his left knee, and was eventually taken from the field on a stretcher; reports at the time said he had suffered torn ligaments.
While the NFL is yet to witness a mishap from players mimicking the Siuu celebration, college football has already gotten its first warning.
Memphis wide receiver Demeer Blankumsee injured his leg while attempting Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic “SIUUU” celebration after scoring a touchdown against UTSA in November 2024.
Time to see if the NFL takes Derek Carr’s heads-up seriously or not.