Braving below-freezing Midwestern temperatures, the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Chicago Bears in a Sunday night overtime thriller 20-17 to advance to the conference championship, bringing them one step closer to the Super Bowl. Fans had previously doubted how the Rams, accustomed to playing in sunny California, would adjust to the Chicago cold. It turns out the Rams were prepared, albeit with an unusual tactic: putting cayenne pepper in their socks.
The reveal came from Sunday Night Football sideline reporter Melissa Stark partway into playtime. Two days after the game, fans are still wondering if the spice was the key to the Rams’ success.
Why did the Rams put cayenne pepper in their socks?
Football teams are no stranger to staying warm in winter games. Tom Brady was known for wearing scuba suits under his jersey, a practice Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has also adopted. Drinking broth and hot chocolate during halftime is also popular among players.
Putting spices in socks, though, is an unfamiliar tactic. And while it might fend off the cold, it comes with side effects. After the game, Rams defensive tackle Poona Ford showed ESPN reporter Kalyn Kahler his sock, which had been stained orange and yellow from the cayenne.
Ford said he learned about the strategy from a former teammate when he played for the Seattle Seahawks and has used it at least once since then. On Sunday, he passed the tactic on to the Rams.
Under a post of Ford’s conversation with Kahler, a Reddit user called the player a “literal seasoned veteran.” Even McCormick Spices’ official TikTok account has chimed in, commenting “cayenne pepper > hand warmers.”
Does it actually work?
The strange technique understandably raised eyebrows. But believe it or not, there’s an explanation. Cayenne pepper brings up body temperature by improving circulation and blood flow, according to the Functional Nutritional Alliance. That’s thanks to capsaicin, the compound that gives cayenne its spicy kick.
Of course, it’s still undetermined whether cayenne pepper in socks, specifically, has the same effect. But despite ongoing skepticism, some fans may have been influenced. TikTok user @jailynleaundra wrote that “If the Rams win Ima start putting cayenne pepper in my socks too.”
Either way, the Rams left Chicago with an important W. The superstitious sports fan in me says that’s as good a reason as any to keep putting spice in their socks. Anything goes during Super Bowl season. As Stark said during the initial reveal, “Whatever works.”