Lamar Jackson prepares to embark on a journey he hopes will lead to his first Super Bowl appearance while Sam Darnold does a similar thing in the other conference. But those players and all others have been told to play nice. The NFL sent a stern warning to teams about taunting ahead of the playoffs.

Sportsmanship is a point of emphasis, the NFL said.

Perry Fewell, the league's SVP of officiating administration, sent a memo to head coaches and general managers of teams in the postseason on Wednesday. The idea focused on “the importance of sportsmanship” in the coming weeks, according to cbssports.com.

“At this level of competition emotions will run high, but no amount of emotion should give way to demeaning and offensive words, taunting, or other non-football acts,” Fewell wrote in a memo obtained by CBS Sports. “No one wants a penalty, or a player ejection, to determine the outcome of a game.”

Sportsmanship seems to ebb, flow across NFL

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) slides for a down as Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (0) makes a late hit during the second quarter of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla.

Eleven players received ejections this season. Among the notable incidents, Texas linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair lost his privilege to play against the Jacksonville Jaguars for a nasty hit on quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones joined Al-Shaair with an early exit for fighting after the same play.

Also making the naughty list included Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Rams receiver Puka Nacua, and Lions defensive back Brian Branch.

“This memo is a reminder that the NFL standard of Sportsmanship will be strictly enforced during the playoffs,” Fewell said. “Please assist Game Officials by encouraging sportsmanship, respect, and high standards of excellence as the competition escalates on the most visible platform in the world. Your active goodwill in emphasizing Sportsmanship and alerting your players and coaches to our position regarding non-football acts is greatly appreciated.”

One area that draws quick attention from the NFL is violent gerstures, most notably those relating to guns. Tampa Bay’s Jalen McMillan received a 15-yard penalty in last week’s win over the Saints for appearing to mimic guns after a big catch and run.

NFL commission Roger Goodell said this is an area the league won’t compromise on or be slow to act.

“It's a long-standing policy and we are going to enforce that,” Goodell said. “We're going to continue on that focus. We don't think it's appropriate in those circumstances and sends the wrong messages. So, we'll continue to do that.”