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Monday night during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game against the Baltimore Ravens, some eagle-eyed viewers caught quarterback Baker Mayfield popping a ZYN as he sat down on the sidelines between offensive series.
While most companies would be thrilled that a high-profile athlete was seen on national television using their product and loving the free advertising and social media mentions (and there were many), ZYN instead called out Baker Mayfield with a complaint.
“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,” a ZYN spokesperson told TMZ after video of Baker Mayfield using their nicotine pouches went viral. “The product is marketed only to current nicotine consumers 21 years old and over as a better alternative to continued smoking and other traditional tobacco products.”
Baker Mayfield popping a ZYN on the sideline mid game 😂 pic.twitter.com/IELMpm7wdd
— GhettoGronk (@TheGhettoGronk) October 22, 2024
ZYN likely won’t be the only people complaining to Baker Mayfield this week about getting caught using a nicotine product on an NFL sideline during a game.
The NFL’s policy on the use of tobacco (and alcohol) during games reads: “Players and other club and League employees (including game officials) must not use alcohol or tobacco products while in the playing field area or while being interviewed on television.”
So it is more than likely that Mayfield will be getting a fine or at the very least a reprimand from the NFL brass this week for his use of ZYN on primetime television Monday night.
As for ZYN, they can certainly afford to poo-poo Baker Mayfield, despite all of the free press he gave them.
On Tuesday, CNBC reported that the day after Mayfield was spotted using ZYN, Philip Morris stock saw its biggest one-day gain since October 2008 and hit all-time high thanks to increasing demand for their nicotine pouches.