Ahead of the Eagles' Week 1 kickoff against Washington on Sunday, it seems Eagles safety Rodney McLeod is putting his artistic flair to use with some inspired cleats.
McLeod designed a pair of Black Lives Matter-themed cleats in collaboration with Marcus Rivero, a custom cleat and shoe designer based in Miami who makes custom cleats and spikes for scores of football, baseball, and basketball stars.
The cleats feature the faces of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor, three Black people killed by police this year whose killings have been central to nationwide protests against systemic racism and police brutality. They also feature the phrase Black Lives Matter:
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It's unclear if McLeod will be wearing the cleats during warm-ups on Sunday.
McLeod has been busy in the clothing design space lately; he also created t-shirts with Back of House USA based around a Philadelphia Inquirer front page.
And McLeod was involved in the Eagles' defensive backs room wearing hats calling for the arrest of the police officers who killed Taylor.
Earlier this summer, Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson shared custom cleats from Rivero designed to honor George Floyd.
NFL
The NFL changed its rules in 2017, allowing players to wear custom-designed cleats during pre-game warm-ups, though there were restrictions, including not allowing designs that are "political or offensive in any way".
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell issued a statement over the summer apologizing for the league's past treatment of peaceful protests by players, and encouraging players to speak out. It's unclear if his encouragement extends to cleats designed to send a societal message.