Eagles receiver A.J. Brown wore bright green shoes on Monday night. When he changed them after the first half, the broadcast assumed it was because of the footing.
It was not.
Brown has since disclosed on social media that he was required to change shoes, because the initial pair did not comply with the league’s footwear rule.
He said Friday, via Tim McManus of ESPN.com, that the officials would prevent him from playing if he didn’t change out of his shoes. Specifically, equipment manager Greg Delimitros told Brown that he “had to take them off or they were going to pull me out of the game.”
Brown avoided a $7,100 fine by complying. He called the amount “ridiculous,” but acknowledged, “It is what it is.”
That doesn’t mean he likes what it is.
“That rule sucks,” Brown said. “I really tried to bend the rules a little bit, but I think all players should just wear whatever they want to wear. They’re not going to be able to fine everybody in the league. So I think we should start that movement as players.”
Brown explained that he wears distinctive cleats so that his daughter can spot him during games.
“She got mad at me,” Brown said. “‘Why did I change the cleats?’ She’ll have to be OK. I’m not trying to come out [of the game].”
Players have more flexibility than ever when it comes to footwear. Previously, all players had to wear shoes of the same color. Now, there are basically three colors from which to choose. (Black, white, or a team-based color.)
Every year, the NFL lets players wear custom-designed cleats that support a specific cause for one weekend.
