Report: NFL has 'no immediate plans' to change enforcement of taunting rules
Arguably the most controversial aspect of the first two weeks of the 2021 NFL season has involved the league keeping its previous promise to crack down on actions deemed to be taunting of opposing players.
Washington Football Team head coach Ron Rivera, a member of the NFL's competition committee, spoke out in favor of the league's enforcement of rules related to taunting on Tuesday, and Mark Maske of The Washington Post reports "there are no immediate plans" for the NFL to change its stance regarding such 15-yard penalties.
Rivera explained Tuesday the NFL is merely attempting to eliminate acts of retaliation that, in the past, have resulted in brawls among players during games. As Rivera and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk noted, players are permitted to celebrate accomplishments such as touchdowns and sacks as long as such actions aren't directed at an opponent.
Players shouldn't be surprised by what's occurred since the start of the regular season, as it was known back in April the competition committee believed NFL referees had become "too lax in taunting." In short, such penalties will only disappear if players adjust how they react to events on fields during games.
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