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NFL Raiders staff appeared uncomfortable with rookie tight end Brock Bowers’ Trump-inspired touchdown celebration during Sunday’s 34-19 defeat against the Miami Dolphins, cutting short his media session after related questioning.

When USA Today reporter Safid Deen inquired about the celebration, Bowers acknowledged its inspiration before PR personnel intervened.

“I’ve seen everyone do it. I watched the UFC fight last night and Jon Jones did it. I like watching UFC so I saw it, and thought it was cool,” Bowers explained.

The celebration referenced UFC fighter Jon Jones’ similar gesture at Madison Square Garden the previous night, performed in Trump’s presence. During his post-fight interview, Jones declared, “I’m proud to be a Christian American champion.”

The celebration trend has spread throughout the NFL, with Tennessee Titans’ Calvin Ridley, Detroit Lions’ Za’Darius Smith, and their teammates performing similar celebrations. This follows San Francisco 49ers’ Nick Bosa and his teammates’ comparable displays the previous week.

The Raiders organization appears to have taken steps to minimize coverage of the incident. The exchange is notably absent from the team’s website and YouTube channel, while the Dolphins’ interview transcript omits the conversation. Social media users have also suggested that NFL on CBS edited the celebration from touchdown highlights, consistent with their previous handling of Trump-related content.

Despite these apparent attempts at suppression, the cultural momentum appears to continue building, particularly through social media platforms like X, owned by Elon Musk, where such moments gain widespread attention regardless of traditional media coverage.