On Monday night, Eagles receiver A.J. Brown was compelled to change non-conforming bright green shoes at halftime. On Sunday, Brown was allowed to keep wearing pink cleats with yellow laces.
The reason is simple. The NFL’s Crucial Catch initiative began with Week 4. All players, per the league, are permitted to wear pink cleats, through Week 6.
What’s odd in this specific case is that, of all the games played in Week 4, Brown is the only one who was wearing pink shoes. And he’s the player who recently criticized the league’s footwear standards, saying, “That rule sucks.”
He also said he likes to wear distinctive shoes so that his daughter can spot him on TV. For the next two weeks, Brown can wear those pink shoes without worrying about running afoul of the rule he hates.