Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Charles Curtis

The Baker Mayfield and ZYN nicotine pouches controversy, explained

This post has been updated with new information.

Baker Mayfield is getting a lot of attention for something he did earlier in the week that was caught by NFL fans on social media.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB was busted by cameras on the sideline of the team’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday as he appeared to take a ZYN nicotine pouch and put in his mouth.

DIVE DEEPER INTO FOR THE WIN: Start your day with The Morning Win newsletter for columns, insights and irreverent musings from the world of sports and pop culture

Why is that a big deal? Because, as ESPN noted years ago, “The NFL does have two rules when it comes to players using smokeless tobacco — don’t do it on the playing field or while conducting television interviews.”

What’s more, ZYN’s owners Swedish Match released this statement to TMZ: “Swedish Match appreciates its loyal consumers and encourages them not to show the product in any situation where someone under 21 years old could see it.”

There you go. No word on whether Mayfield will face discipline or a fine for that.

UPDATE:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.