Raiders WR DeSean Jackson ordered to remove John Madden tribute cleats
The NFL's Sunday game lineup was peppered with tributes to the John Madden, but the league apparently didn't like how Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver DeSean Jackson paid homage to the late Hall of Fame coach.
Jackson said on his Instagram story following Sunday's victory over the Indianapolis Colts that he was ordered by officials to take off the tribute silver-and-black cleats he was sporting in honor of the legendary Raiders coach, which featured Madden's face and signature. According to Jackson, officials told him he wouldn't be allowed to play unless he changed his shoes.
He wrote: "NFL hated on me and said if I didn't take cleats off they was gonna remove me from the game!! I had these made for the legendary John Madden."
Turns out, Jackson wasn't the only player to rock tribute footwear on Sunday, with Buffalo Bills wideout Stefon Diggs also sporting Madden-inspired cleats on Sunday. There has been no word as to whether Diggs was also told by officials to change cleats at any point on Sunday.
The NFL does have a wacky rule prohibiting players from wearing flashy custom cleats. The rules stipulate that cleats must follow the same color palette as team jerseys, and custom footwear can only be worn for practice and pregame and must be approved beforehand by the league.
Of course, the NFL breaks its own rule once a season for the league's "My Cause, My Cleats" campaign, which allows players to wear "pre-approved" custom cleats supporting charitable causes.
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