Skip to main content
Join Now

Baker Mayfield calls out NFL over smelling salts ban: 'Going to be severely affected'

Brian Jones Profile Picby: Brian Jones08/06/25brianjones_93
Baker Mayfield (1)
Jun 10, 2025; Tampa Bay, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) gives a press conference after mini camp at AdventHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Baker Mayfield is not a fan of the NFL banning smelling salts for the 2025 season. While speaking to Kay Adams and the Up & Adams show, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback shared his reaction to the NFL’s decision.

“Not sure why. I think the reasoning was that it masked concussion symptoms,” Baker Mayfield said. “But if you get knocked out, which is the whole purpose of smelling salts, is to wake you up, you’re not allowed back in the game. I think it was a quick trigger to ban them, just to kind of a CYA (cover your ass). But it is what it is.”

Mayfield then said, “You just got to bring your own juice to the party. Got to wake up ready to go.” Adams then asked Mayfield who is going to be affected by this the most. “I’m going to be severely affected, to be honest with you,” Mayfield replied.

On Tuesday, the NFL announced in a memo that it has banned ammonia inhalants and smelling salts before and during all NFL games. San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle shared the news during teammate Fred Warner‘s live interview on the NFL Network on Tuesday morning.

Baker Mayfield has used smelling salts in the past

The memo says that teams are prohibited from “providing or supplying ammonia in any form.” This means that NFL teams can’t provide ammonia capsules, inhalers, ammonia in a cup and any form of “smelling salts.”

“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 memo states. “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. As a result, the NFL Head, Neck and Spine Committee recommended prohibiting the use of AIs for any purpose during NFL play.”

Mayfield, who threw for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns last year, has used smelling salts during his time in Tampa Bay, as mentioned by Caleb Skinner of Sports Illustrated. The former Oklahoma star has used them before the game as well as on the sideline.