Sean Payton’s daughter Meghan Payton took aim at the NFL’s officiating standards on Sunday, and her complaint landed in the middle of a busy day for taunting flags.
After a string of unsportsmanlike conduct calls in Week 2, Meghan questioned whether the league has gone too far with how it polices player reactions.
"Already 3 taunting calls today. Has the NFL gotten too strict with taunting penalties?" Meghan tweeted.
The discussion heated up as officials penalized several players for what appeared to be routine post-play emotion. Packers safety Javon Bullard was flagged in Green Bay’s Week 2 game against the New York Jets after making a defensive stop and standing his ground before the yellow flag came out for taunting.
Saints wide receiver Chris Olave also drew a controversial call on Sunday. He celebrated in front of Baltimore’s Marlon Humphrey after making a catch near the end of the first quarter.
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey was another player hit with a penalty, getting flagged in the fifth minute of the team’s Week 2 game against the New England Patriots after the Steelers forced a fumble.
The criticism of taunting enforcement isn’t new for Sean Payton. He previously served on the NFL Competition Committee and called out the rule’s enforcement in 2021, saying it was being over-officiated and that inconsistent penalties stemmed from league leadership issues rather than individual referee crews.
The league, though, has made its position clear. The NFL says it will continue to enforce sportsmanship rules strictly this season, with officials watching taunting, illegal celebrations and fighting closely.
“The Competition Committee has made sportsmanship, including at joint practices, a point of emphasis over the past several years," the NFL said in a statement.
That focus has already shown up beyond game days. The league backed up its stance by fining the Cowboys and Saints for a fight during a joint practice last month.
Taunting and illegal celebrations carry 15-yard penalties, and the league’s numbers show the issue remains front and center. The NFL had 28 taunting penalties in 2025, up from 21 in 2024 and 18 in 2023. In 2021, the league hit a recent high with 61 taunting penalties.
NFL officiating rules analyst Walt Anderson also addressed how celebrations are supposed to work.
“There are plenty of ways for players to be able to celebrate. And they come up with some very unique and often entertaining ways. So we want them to focus on those and not the inappropriate areas," Anderson said.
The league’s message is simple: celebrate, but don’t direct it at an opponent or cross into offensive or violent gestures, or the flags - and in some cases ejections - can follow.
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