NFL Fines Jalen Hurts for Air Jordan Cleats & Jordan Brand Responds

The NFL fined Jalen Hurts for wearing a cleat that was not one of the "constitutional team colors."

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts received a fine for wearing mismatched Air Jordan cleats. / IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Update

Jordan Brand issued the following statement: "We’re paying the fine. You can’t ban greatness."

It was 40 years ago it was the NBA who fined Michael Jordan for violating the league’s dress code when wearing the now iconic Air Jordans. Nike paid the fines and the game hasn’t been the same since.

This past week, the NFL repeated history by doing the same to Jalen Hurts, who also violated dress codes. It seems people don’t realize you can’t band greatness… with that in mind, Jordan Brand will be paying the fine.

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Every week, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts dazzles fans with his amazing play and equally astounding footwear.

Hurts is a Jordan Brand athlete who regularly wears retro Air Jordan cleats in player-exclusive colorways. Sometimes, Hurts even pairs cleats from different colorways and models.

What started as a happy accident evolved into a trend for Hurts. Earlier this season, Hurts' had a uniform malfunction and ran onto the field wearing two different cleats against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 8.

The rulebook says: “A player may wear shoes that are black, white, or any Constitutional team color, or any combination of black, white, and a Constitutional team color.”

Hurts said the shoes he was supposed to wear didn’t come in. Will he use this look again? “We’ll see.” https://t.co/vlNTdZuXQn

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 20, 2024

This past Sunday, Hurts wore two different colorways of the Air Jordan 11. The left shoe sported a Kelly Green colorway, while the right shoe sported a Midnight Green colorway. Unfortunately for Hurts, the "No Fun League" did not appreciate his sartorial choice.

According to Tom Pelissero, the NFL fined Hurts $5,628 for violating the league's uniform and equipment rules during Sunday's win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Hurts' fine was for wearing a shoe color that's not one of Philadelphia's "Constitutional team colors."

The rulebook says: "A player may wear shoes that are black, white, or any Constitutional team color, or any combination of black, white, and a Constitutional team color."

According to Pelissero, Hurts said the shoes he was supposed to wear didn't arrive in time for the game. When asked if he would use this look again, Hurts said, "We'll see."

The return of Jalen "Two Shoes" Hurts 👀@JalenHurts | #ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/vLSUythvOK

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) December 15, 2024

Hurts officially signed with Jordan Brand before the start of the 2023 NFL regular season. Since then, the All-Pro quarterback has left fans drooling with his choice of footwear on the field. Hurts routinely wears the Air Jordan 1, 5, and 11 in player-exclusive Eagles colorways.

Thanks to his play and style, Hurts is arguably the face of Jordan Brand in the NFL. Jumpman's impressive roster has rapidly grown in recent years to include many of the league's top quarterbacks and skill positions.

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