The National Football League is notorious for its rules and regulations when policing players on how they should act on the field. Taunting and celebrations are both frowned upon in the league and can result in a hefty fine or temporary suspensions. The NFL claims that the rules maintain a level of professionalism, promote sportsmanship and prevent over-the-top antics that may escalate tensions on the field, however many see this instead as the league “policing fun.” Despite the risk of punishment, players still continue to celebrate and express themselves on the field. From funny antics to wild displays, player celebrations can catch fans attention and leave impressions on the public long after the game is over.

While showcasing eccentric celebrations on the field may come at a cost, the amount depends on what the player does. The NFL focuses on fining those who make violent or offensive gestures, taunts, such as stomping on a teams logo or pointing directly at a player, sexually suggestive moves or “excessive celebrations.” Some of the most notorious fines belong to Marshawn Lynch, Joe Horn and Chad Johnson, the player with some of the most expensive fines. In 2014, Seattle Seahawks star runningback, Marshawn Lynch, was fined $20,000 for “acting out” after a touchdown in the postseason. The NFL claimed he was making an “obscene gesture” after scoring in the NFC championship game and then grabbing his crotch. In 2003, the year’s second most expensive fine went to the wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints, Joe Horn, when he pulled off one of the most famous touchdown celebrations ever. After scoring, Horn pulled out a cellphone from the goal post and made a call. While the daring move caught people off guard and made fans laugh, it did result in a $30,000 fine for the wide receiver. Chad Johnson, famously known as “Ocho Cinco,” is one of the most colorful characters in NFL history. Over the course of his career, Johnson accumulated up to $115,000 in fines for various celebrations. Some of the most memorable ones consist of his $20,000 fine for wearing gold cleats against the Pittsburgh Steelers, $30,000 for wearing a sombrero after a touchdown and $5,000 for using a velcro name plate that said “Ocho Cinco” instead of his real name. However, despite the risk, many players continue to push the boundaries of what is deemed acceptable by the league and celebrate however they choose with their team. Since fans love to see their team doing well, seeing their favorite players have fun on the field on top of it creates an energetic atmosphere for all who are watching.

Throughout the 2024 season, players started going viral on TikTok for their touchdown celebrations, combining their athleticism with pop culture and personal flair to create some of the most memorable celebrations. This viral phenomenon was even brought up during the NFL Honors awards show leading to a “dance battle” to break out mid ceremony. As the league gains more traction on social media, fans flock online to see what fun antics the players got up to with each game. Views continued to climb all season, so let's take a look back and see some of the most talked about celebrations from the past season.

Amon-Ra St. Brown, the wide receiver for the Detroit Lions, finished the season with 12 touchdowns but left a lasting impression due to his playful celebrations. One of the most talked about was his “Hadouken” celebration unveiled during the Lions game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Inspired by the classic Street Fighter video game, St. Brown acted out the iconic energy blast attack, paying homage to a well-known game. During the Lions game versus the Green Bay Packers, after scoring their first touchdown in the second quarter, St. Brown was seen paying tribute to a viral moment from the University of Incarnate Word, where their receiver performed a headstand after a touchdown. Videos of St.Brown doing the headstand were posted all over TikTok whereESPN’s page alone garnered over 15.1 Million views.

St. Brown wasn’t the only person on the lions to go viral this season as his teammate Jahmyr Gibbs coincidentally also earned 15.1M views on ESPN’s TikTok page after performing the viral “pole dancing” TikTok trend during the Lions game against the Chicago Bears. During the first quarter, the Lions scored and Gibbs ran to the goalpost to dance, but the touchdown was called short and the Lions had to retry. Gibbs was able to score again and the cameraman was ready and got the shot of him dancing front and center on the goal post while being hyped up by his teammates.

Rookie quarterback for the Washington Chargers, Jayden Daniels, also went viral with 15.2 Million views after being posted to NFL on FOX’s TikTok, and gained 11.4 million views on CBS Sports’ page. Daniels’ dancing matched perfectly with the song “Let’s Groove” by Earth, Wind & Fire, bringing fun and energetic vibes to the fans.

NFLonFOX posted a compilation on TikTok of Vikings safety Cam Bynum recreating fun pop culture moments that lead the team to gain 11.4 Million views. These included Bynum doing the dance break from “New Flame” by Usher, mimicking the Australian Olympic breakdancer Raygun, the handshake from The Parent Trap with teammate Josh Metellus as well as the dance battle scene from White Chicks. But Bynum and Metellus weren’t the only ones on the team having fun as the whole offensive line came out to dance to “We’re All in This Together” from High School Musical and do the chant-walk-up from Camp Rock 2.

Since the virality of these dance clips continued to gain traction throughout the season, the NFL themselves couldn’t help but acknowledge them. During the NFL Honors awards, Camryn Bynum took the stage with actor Terry Crews after performing the dance from Crew’s popular movie White Chicks earlier in the season. While on stage the conversation turned to Bynum’s viral moments throughout the season. Mid conversation, Rams player, Kobie Turner, interrupted claiming he had the best moves in the league. This led to Crews initiating a dance battle, where Turner brought out Cameron Dicker and Dion Dawkins to dance on stage with him to “What is This Feeling” from Wicked. Bynum responded by recreating his White Chicks moment with teammate Joshua Metellus breaking it down to “It’s Tricky” by Run-D.M.C. A winner couldn’t be declared but the moment ended when both teams came together to dance to their own rendition of “Dirty Dancing.” The clip gained 1.7M views on the NFL’s TikTok page, and the team left with a final message to get ready for their dances in 2025.

The public loves watching their favorite athletes have fun and celebrate their accomplishments on the field. When the athletes get to express themselves in exciting and creative ways that showcase their love of the game it creates a whole new thrilling environment for fans to anticipate and enjoy. As touchdown dances continue to bring attention to the league outside of the main fanbase it would do the NFL good to take another look at their regulations. If the athletes can celebrate in a fun way without having to worry about fines, these viral moments could happen more often and continue to bolster viewership, bringing more positive attention to the league. Be that as it may, the league doesn’t seem to have any plans to change their regulations yet, but players still seem excited to show off their plans for the 2025 season.

Written by Lauren Carmona, Photography: Madelyn Gray, Social Media: Lauren Tran

NFL Touchdown Showmanship