Overview

• On August 5, the league sent a memo forbidding all team personnel from providing ammonia inhalants during pregame, halftime, on-field, or locker-room activities in the 2025 season.
• The policy follows an FDA warning last year about the lack of evidence for safety or efficacy of smelling salts and a recommendation from the NFL’s Head, Neck and Spine Committee to ban their use.
• 49ers tight end George Kittle broke the news live on NFL Network, joking that he uses smelling salts on every drive and briefly contemplated retirement over the rule change.
• Within 24 hours, the NFL Players Association clarified that the ban applies only to club distribution and does not prevent players from bringing or using their own smelling salts.
• The measure aligns with the league’s broader push to enhance concussion protocols by eliminating substances that could obscure neurological symptoms.