NFL's 'My Cleats, My Cause' Campaign Returning for Week 13 This Season
After the success of the NFL’s "My Cleats, My Cause" campaign last season, the league will bring back its popular customized cleats event this season, a league source told The MMQB.
NFL players will be allowed to wear customized cleats that reflect their commitment to charitable causes during Week 13 games. They were allowed to do this during Week 13 last season, in a story first reported by SI.com.
This is part of a continued effort by the league to relax its rigid uniform policy that has long been in place. Earlier this month, a league memo informed teams that players will be allowed to wear personalized cleats during “pre-game activities prior to team warmups.” The memo, first reported by ESPN and obtained by The MMQB, also states players can wear solid black, white or a secondary team color rather than the previous rule of the dominant color that had been declared pre-game by the team.
Furthermore, the league will allow different colored cleats, shoelaces and wristbands during Weeks 5-7 of this season as part of its “Crucial Catch” campaign. Weeks 5-7 fall in the month of October, which since 2009 had been the league’s month for breast cancer awareness. That will change this season as teams and players will be able to choose from various cancers to highlight and support awareness for.
Nearly 500 players supported myriad causes during the “My Cleats, My Cause” campaign last year, from battling diseases and illnesses to supporting clean water and local Boys and Girls Clubs. A league source indicated that no fewer than 1,300 players have expressed interest in the campaign this season. Stories promoting individual player’s causes will begin during Week 8.
The best of the NFL's custom cleats for charity in Week 13
Dak Prescott
Ezekiel Elliott
Aaron Rodgers
Von Miller
DeAngelo Williams
Antonio Brown
Drew Brees
Kirk Cousins
Richard Sherman
Emmanuel Sanders
Vernon Davis
Jimmy Graham
Jordan Howard
Derek Carr
Larry Fitzgerald
Blake Bortles
Devon Still
Tyrann Mathieu
Jameis Winston
LeSean McCoy
DeAndre Hopkins
Brock Osweiler
Greg Olsen
Clay Matthews
Tyrod Taylor
Carson Palmer
Brandin Cooks
Delanie Walker
Eric Berry
Marcus Peters
Vincent Jackson
Jarvis Landry
Doug Baldwin
Dont'a Hightower
Matt Ryan
David Johnson
Only one player is known to have been fined for his cleats during Week 13 last year. Former Eagles receiver Dorial Green-Beckham wore Yeezy cleats by rapper Kanye West. Green-Beckham claimed he wore the cleats for the Yeezy Foundation, but that didn’t pass with the league and he was fined $6,076 for wearing unapproved cleats.