Last week, Jalen Hurts made headlines again with his choice of footwear against the Steelers. However, this time, Roger Goodell’s NFL was vigilant, resulting in a fine for the Eagles QB. His decision to wear two differently colored cleats in week 15 resulted in a fine of $ 5,628 because they “didn’t match the Eagles’ Constitutional team colors,” as reported by NFL insider Tom Pelissero.
In response to the fine, Hurts seemed to poke fun at the NFL’s uniform rules. As he headed to FedEx Field for a matchup against the Commanders, he sported a two-tone suit with a black inner and grey blazer. This choice raises questions about whether he intended to send a message to Roger Goodell regarding the penalty.
Here’s the situation: The 5,628 fine is negligible for Jalen Hurts∗∗,given his contract with the Eagles which averages 51M per year. This fine amounts to just 0.01% of his salary. Hurts explained that he wore two different colored cleats because he intended to wear the Columbia 11s, which he had gifted to kids at the Wings Initiative, but they hadn’t arrived in time.
Despite this initial fine, Hurts wasn’t deterred. He wore those same Kelly green cleats and a lighter green shade that didn’t match the Eagles’ jersey during the game against Washington. As a result, Hurts is facing a second fine of around $ 16,883. However, he may not need to worry about covering these fines, as Jordan Brand is supporting their top athletes.
Jordan Brand taking the stand for Jalen Hurts
Jordan Brand decided to sign the Eagles QB ahead of the 2023 season, and since then, it has been a love affair of Hurts with Air Jordans. You can often find him changing his Air Jordans from 1, 5, 11, and even some exclusive colors. The incident that happened on Sunday involved Hurts wearing two different Air Jordan 11s. So, their brand was quick to support Hurts, whose mistake wasn’t that bad. Let’s be honest here. Wearing two different cleats that don’t match your team’s jersey, what kind of rule is that?
Well, at the end of the day, a rule is a rule. However, this time, Hurts may not have to worry about the fine as his partner company released a statement saying, “We’re paying the fine. You can’t ban greatness.” But this isn’t the first time a shoe company has paid their player’s fine. Nike did the same with Michael Jordan almost 40 years ago. When he also violated the league’s dress code by wearing Air Jordans. As one of the representatives tweeted, “Nike paid the fines and the game hasn’t been the same since.”
However, this isn’t the first time Hurts has found himself taking the gridiron with two different colored cleats. Going back to October, when the Eagles faced off against the Bengals. The 26-year-old did the same when he couldn’t untie the knot on one of his Jordan 4Es. From that moment on, Hurts has found himself a new nickname that many of you are already familiar with.
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