It was three years ago when the NFL went to its officials and reminded them to make sure they throw flags when they see taunting on the gridiron.
After four weeks this season, the NFL is nudging referees again, according to Pro Football Talk, as there is a “point of clarification” as to what is categorized as taunting after fines have been dished out for it despite no flags being thrown.
However, what defines taunting appears to be a gray area for some officiating crews, and many players, current and former, are not fans of how inconsistent the calls can be.
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Houston Texans former defensive end J.J. Watt in attendance as the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Tennessee Titans at Acrisure Stadium. (Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)
While future Hall of Fame defensive lineman J.J. Watt understands officials must walk a fine line with these taunting penalties, he does wish to see more of the players’ personalities on full display.
After all, this is football and having those competitive juices run high can lead to some banter and trash-talk.
“I think there’s certainly a line you can draw, and guys can fall on both sides of it,” Watt told Fox News Digital while also discussing his own competition with his brothers, T.J. and Derek, with Old El Paso’s “Watt Can Taco.” “I do think that some more celebration and enjoyment and even a little trash talk should be allowed. I mean, it is a competitive game, it’s at the highest level. Emotions are high, and part of the fun is the emotion of it all.”
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Watt recently commented on a taunting call in Week 4 against Dallas Cowboys star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who was flagged for it after scoring a touchdown against the New York Giants. Lamb was seen jawing at a Giants defender and tossed the ball in his general direction when the flag came in.
Watt did not feel that was a moment when it was necessary.
“It’s not like he whipped it at his head or anything,” he said. “It’s not like it even hit the guy, so those are the ones I’m like, ‘Yeah, all right, he had a little bit of emotion. It wasn’t anything crazy, he just scored this long touchdown. Is that really some time we need to throw the flag?’
“Those are the ones where it’s kinda like – I get that’s how the refs are taught to do it. They don’t want it escalate into something bigger. But let’s have a little more. This is an entertainment business at the end of it. Let’s let these guys show their personalities. As long as it’s not physically interacting with an opponent, or it’s not doing a gun celebration, let them show a little bit.”
CBS analyst J.J. Watt on the field before Super Bowl LVIII between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)
Where Watt does believe the NFL is getting it right is mimicking shooting guns.
“Now, the gun celebrations, that’s clear-cut,” he said. “They’re going to fine that every time, they’re going to flag that every time. That is just a player not caring or not really wanting to follow the rules. We all know you can’t fake a gun out there, and that I’m fine with.”
This season, there have been five total taunting penalties called, with the Washington Commanders having two of them. However, a player like Philadelphia Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson has already been fined three times in two games despite never receiving a flag for taunting.
However, with this “clarification” from the league, perhaps fans are about to see some more laundry on the field when players go back and forth with each other.
Former Houston Texans player J.J. Watt speaks to the crowd after being inducted into the Texans Ring of Honor during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at NRG Stadium. (Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports)
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Watt just hopes the flags are warranted – just like the rest of the players.
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