The NFL will not discipline players who celebrate with the ‘Trump Dance’ that has been popularized in recent days.

In Week 11, the likes of Las Vegas Raiders rookie Brock Bowers, Detroit Lions pass-rusher Za’Darius Smith, and Tennessee Titans star receiver Calvin Ridley danced seemingly to commemorate Donald Trump’s election win and return to the White House. Trump first performed the dance, typically to songs like ‘YMCA’ by Village People, while on the campaign trail as he sought re-election in 2024.

The dance has since spread around the sports world. UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones celebrated his Madison Square Garden win over Stipe Miocic with the dance, while USMNT star Christian Pulisic marked his opening goal against Jamaica by echoing Trump’s moves.

Following a sharp spike in NFL players mimicking Trump’s moves, the league announced the celebration poses no concerns. The NFL also claimed they are not issuing any directives to TV partners Fox Sports, ESPN, CBS Sports, NBC Sports, and Amazon Prime Video on how, or if, they should cover players performing Trump’s signature shimmy after a touchdown or big play.

Per NFL rules, player celebrations can be creative so long as they aren’t excessive or feature either violent or sexually suggestive acts. However, politics has proved to be a divisive topic in sports.

Back in 2016, Colin Kaepernick was phased out of the league after he protested systematic inequality and police brutality by kneeling during the national anthem. The San Francisco 49ers quarterback inspired the league to make a stand, while the Black Lives Matter movement of 2020 led to the NFL inserting end-zone stencils featuring messages such as ‘End Racism’.

But players can get in trouble for wearing printed hats and T-shirts that tout their political and personal opinions. Earlier this month, San Francisco star Bosa was fined $11,255 for wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat on the field as it violated the league’s uniform/equipment rules because it bore a “personal” statement.

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Brock Bowers copied Donald Trump's dance on Sunday

Brock Bowers copied Donald Trump’s dance on Sunday ( 

Image:

CBS)

However, the trendy ‘Trump Dance’ led to a controversy for the Raiders. Following his touchdown, Bowers mimicked Trump’s iconic dance in the end zone. He then told USA Today: “I’ve seen everyone do it. I watched the UFC fight last night and Jon Jones did it. I like watching UFC so I saw it, and thought it was cool.”

Immediately after Bowers spoke to the reporter, the Raiders swiftly and inexplicably wrapped his availability and did not permit any other questions. It remains unclear as to why.

While the likes of Bowers and Pulisic have played down the political links to the moves, UFC icon Jones made it crystal clear why he did the dance: “I want to say a big, big thank you to President Donald Trump for being here. What do you guys think about my version of the Donald Trump?”

The NFL cannot be seen taking sides when it comes to politics. The league is especially careful about dealing with Trump given his immense popularity and the negative effect on ratings that came about during his clash with Kaepernick.