The NFL has banned the use of smelling salts and ammonia packets ahead of the 2025 NFL season.
For George Kittle, this is very disappointing news.
The San Francisco 49ers tight end broke the news Tuesday on NFL Network. He then shared that the ban has left him “distraught.”
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Kittle did so while crashing the set of an NFL Network hit during an interview with his teammate Fred Warner at 49ers training camp.
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“I honestly just came up here to air a grievance,” Kittle said after being handed a microphone. “Our team got a memo today that smelling salts and ammonia packets were made illegal in the NFL, and I’ve been distraught all day.”
Kittle then joked that he contemplated extreme measures in response to the rule change.
“I considered retirement,” he said with a smile. “We’ve got to come up with a middle ground here, guys. Somebody help me out. Somebody come up with a good idea.”
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Why is Kittle so “distraught?”
“I’m an every-drive guy,” Kittle said regarding his smelling salts use. “I’m an every-drive guy.”
Kittle said he draws the line on using smelling salts for each play, declaring that’s “too much.”
Smelling salts appear to be an integral part of George Kittle’s football routine. The NFL is probably doing him a favor.
(Michael Zagaris via Getty Images)
So why the ban?
NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo later shared the memo that got Kittle so worked up. It appears that Kittle’s use of smelling salts on “every drive” might not be a good idea.
Citing a 2024 memo from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the NFL explained its reasoning for banning ammonia inhalants (AIs), an umbrella term that includes smelling salts.
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From the memo:
“The FDA noted potential negative effects from AI use,” the memo states. “AIs also have the potential to mask certain neurologic 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 play in the NFL.”
The memo clarified that the AI category encompasses “any form of ‘smelling salts’” and prohibits any member of a team from administering or providing AIs to players at any point during a game.
The FDA memo referenced by the NFL detailed reported adverse effects of using unapproved AIs that include “shortness of breath, seizures, migraines, vomiting, diarrhea, and fainting from consumers after using these types of products, possibly purchased through various websites.”
Smelling salts are traditionally used to treat fainting victims but have apparently become popular among athletes — particularly football and hockey players — as a perceived energy boost. This appears to be Kittle’s preferred use.
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The NFL isn’t the first sports organization to ban the use of smelling salts. Hockey Quebec, a branch of Hockey Canada that oversees amateur hockey in the province, banned smelling salts in February, citing concern about their use by youth players.
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