"Football leans on tradition, providing convenient cover for the NFL's lenient stance on smelling salts, ammonia crystals that players believe enhance performance when inhaled. Does the olfactory exhilaration also enhance play-calling, amplifying one's grasp of X's and O's? Kyle Shanahan apparently believes so. The San Francisco 49ers coach was caught by a Fox television camera moments before a playoff game Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles taking several whiffs from a small packet before handing it to an assistant."
"Ahead of the 2025 season, the league's head, neck and spine committee recommended that teams end the longtime practice of providing smelling salts to players. The decision was prompted by a U.S. Food and Drug Administration warning about the potential side effects of inhaling ammonia, which include lung damage and masking signs of a concussion. Players all but panicked. George Kittle, the 49ers All-Pro tight end, jumped on an NFL Network broadcast to proclaim that smelling salts were crucial to his performance."
Smelling salts are ammonia crystals inhaled by players who believe they enhance performance and alertness. The San Francisco 49ers developed a system to ensure immediate access during games, and coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have used them. A Fox camera recorded Shanahan sniffing a packet before a playoff game. The NFL's head, neck and spine committee recommended ending team provision after a U.S. Food and Drug Administration warning about possible lung damage and masking of concussion signs. The league allows players to bring personal ammonia inhalants but bars teams from supplying them. Players and staff remain divided over safety and necessity.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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