For one week, the NFL is loosening up and allowing players to show off a bit of individuality. In Week 13, players will have the option to wear custom cleats to support charitable causes.
Why are NFL players wearing custom cleats this week?
Why is the NFL letting players wear the cleats they want to? And which players are wearing what cleats?
Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images
In partnership with The Players’ Tribune, the My Cause, My Cleats campaign aims to raise money for causes with custom cleats to be auctioned off by the NFL, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the cause the cleats were designed to support.
“One of the great NFL traditions is how our players passionately support important causes in their communities and around the globe every year,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said. “They are incredibly creative by nature so we are not surprised how they are seizing the opportunity this week with inspiring expressions of their charitable commitments on their cleats, online and through social media.”
In the past, the NFL has been exceedingly strict with shows of support on the field. Wide receiver Brandon Marshall was fined in 2013 for wearing green cleats to highlight mental health awareness, and Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback William Gay was fined in 2015 for wearing purple cleats to raise domestic violence awareness.
The NFL will certainly return to its straight-laced attitude after Week 13. But giving players an outlet to express their views and work for causes could be just the outlet to keep players from violating the uniform policy in other weeks.
Even Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll plans to get involved with black shoelaces over his signature all-white shoes to raise awareness for gang prevention on behalf of A Better Seattle and A Better L.A.
Players and causes involved in Week 13 include:
Cliff Avril, Seattle Seahawks DE — Cliff Avril Family Foundation and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
Doug Baldwin, Seattle Seahawks WR — Southern Youth Sports Foundation
Daren Bates, Oakland Raiders LB — American Heart Association
Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants WR — Make-A-Wish Foundation of NJ
Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati Bengals RB — Run Gio Foundation
Eric Berry, Kansas City Chiefs S — Hodgkin’s lymphoma awareness
Blake Bortles, Jacksonville Jaguars QB — The Blake Bortles Foundation
Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints QB — Brees Dream Foundation
Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers WR — Big Brothers Big Sisters
Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders QB — Valley Children’s Healthcare
Brandin Cooks, New Orleans Saints WR — American Heart Association
Kirk Cousins, Washington QB — International Justice Mission
Victor Cruz, New York Giants WR — Victor Cruz Foundation
Brian Cushing, Houston Texans LB — Brian Cushing Foundation
Thomas Davis, Carolina Panthers LB — Thomas Davis Defending Dreams Foundation
Vernon Davis, Washington TE — Vernon Davis Foundation for the Arts
Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys RB — Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR — Rise
Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals WR — First Down Fund
Devonta Freeman, Atlanta Falcons RB — Devonta Freeman Foundation
Dont’a Hightower, New England Patriots LB — American Diabetes Association
T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts RB — Fathers and Families Center
Cameron Heyward, Pittsburgh Steelers DT — Heyward House
DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans WR — Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse
Carlos Hyde, San Francisco 49ers RB — Boys and Girls Club of Silicon Valley
Bruce Irvin, Oakland Raiders LB — National Alliance for Mental Health
DeSean Jackson, Washington WR — United Negro College Fund
Malcolm Jenkins, Philadelphia Eagles S — The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation
David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals RB — Stomp Out Bullying
Taiwan Jones, Oakland Raiders RB — Prevent Child Abuse America
Cameron Jordan, New Orleans Saints DE — United Way
Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs TE — Eighty-Seven and Running
Ryan Kerrigan, Washington LB — Blitz for the Better Foundation
Jarvis Landry, Miami Dolphins WR — Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Sean Lee, Dallas Cowboys LB — Sean Lee’s Dreambuilders
Deandre Levy, Detroit Lions LB — Enough SAID
Chris Long, New England Patriots DE — The Waterboys Foundation
Khalil Mack, Oakland Raiders DE — Lupus Foundation of America
Eli Manning, New York Giants QB — Tackle Kids Cancer
Brandon Marshall, New York Jets WR — Project Borderline
Tyrann Mathieu, Arizona Cardinals S — RISE
Clay Matthews, Green Bay Packers LB — Cure Duchenne
Devin McCourty, New England Patriots S; Jason McCourty, Tennessee Titans, CB — Tackle Sickle Cell
LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills RB — ALS Association
Latavius Murray, Oakland Raiders RB — Love a Child
Josh Norman, Washington CB — Starz24
Braxton Miller, Houston Texans WR — American Heart Association
Von Miller, Denver Broncos LB — Von’s Vision
Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers QB — Cam Newton Foundation
Rob Ninkovich, New England Patriots LB — The Waterboys Foundation
Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers TE — Receptions for Research
Brock Osweiler, Houston Texans QB — Ronald McDonald House Houston
Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals — Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation
Patrick Peterson, Arizona Cardinals CB — Patrick Peterson Foundation for Success
Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys QB — American Cancer Society
Marcel Reece, Oakland Raiders FB — Marcel Reece Foundation
Jalen Richard, Oakland Raiders RB — American Heart Association
Seth Roberts, Oakland Raiders WR — American Diabetes Association
Allen Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars WR — Allen Robinson’s Within Reach Foundation
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers QB — Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer
Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons QB — Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Richard Sherman, Seattle Seahawks CB — Blanket Coverage Foundation
Steve Smith, Baltimore Ravens WR — Steve Smith Family Foundation
Torrey Smith, San Francisco 49ers WR — Torrey Smith Family Fund
Devon Still, Houston Texans DT — Still Strong Foundation
Ndamukong Suh, Miami Dolphins DT — Ndamukong Suh Family Foundation
Jaelen Strong, Houston Texans WR — American Cancer Society
Tyrod Taylor, Buffalo Bills QB — Olmsted Center for Visually Impaired
Julius Thomas, Jacksonville Jaguars TE — Episcopal Children’s Services
Michael Thomas, Miami Dolphins S — First Step Foundation
T.J. Ward, Denver Broncos S — T.J. Ward Foundation
Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles QB — Athletes in Action Foundation
Muhammad Wilkerson, New York Jets DE — T.E.A.M. 96 Foundation
DeAngelo Williams, Pittsburgh Steelers RB — The DeAngelo Williams Foundation
Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks QB — Why Not You Foundation
Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB — Juvenile Diabetes Research Funding
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