NFL won't fine Titans' Avery Williamson for 9/11 cleats

In an exception to its notoriously strict uniform code, the NFL will not fine Titans linebacker Avery Williamson or any other player for wearing patriotic cleats during their season openers on Sunday, the 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

“None of the players that had 9/11 tributes were fined,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told The Tennessean on Wednesday. “We review all aspects of the weekend’s games beginning Monday. … We didn’t feel it was appropriate given the national tragedy.”

After practice Wednesday, Williamson said he thought he would be fined.

"But they obviously found some sympathy in their hearts," he said.

The NFL also is planning to modify its uniform policy to allow players to promote pre-approved charities and causes, a league source told The Tennessean, confirming a report by Sports Illustrated. The change has been in the works for at least a year, the source said, and is not in reaction to any specific event. It is unclear when the new policy will go into effect.

Williamson said he originally planned to wear his custom cleats during the Titans' season opener against the Vikings at Nissan Stadium, but in an effort to avoid becoming a distraction, changed his mind when an NFL representative called to inform him about a looming fine for violating uniform code.

Williamson changed his mind once again Saturday night after The Tennessean's report about the situation went viral. Several of his teammates offered to help pay the fine if he wore the cleats, as did four New York and New Jersey police associations, including the union that represents the police department that patrols the World Trade Center complex.

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Williamson’s star-spangled blue cleats with red- and white-striped Nike swooshes were airbrushed by True Blue Customs in Lexington, Ky. They featured the words “Never Forget” and “9/11” on the back of the shoes, with the "11" representing the Twin Towers. Williamson is auctioning the cleats to benefit Operation Warrior Wishes, plus offering a meet and greet, two VIP tickets to a Titans home game and an autographed jersey.

Other players who wore patriotic cleats during Sunday’s games included New York Giants receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Victor Cruz, Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushing, Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee and Atlanta Falcons receiver Mohamed Sanu. Falcons receiver Julio Jones wore patriotic cleats during warmups.

The NFL mandates all teammates wear the same color scheme on their shoes.

"It’s something that the league ought to be open to," Pro Bowl defensive end Jurrell Casey said about the NFL relaxing its uniform code to allow personal messages. "At the end of the day, I don’t think these guys changing their cleats up or doing things like that, when it’s supporting someone or it’s something that they believe in, it’s not hurting the game. The guy’s still out there playing the game the way it’s supposed to, still doing what they need to do to take care of business on the field."

In 2011, before games played on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, the NFL announced in advance that players would not receive fines for similar patriotic tributes. There was no such announcement this year.

On Monday, Titans coach Mike Mularkey said he encouraged Williamson to wear the cleats and would pay any fine from the league.

"Well, I said, 'I'm going to shoot you straight like I shoot everybody straight. If you don't wear those shoes, I'll be very disappointed in you. Because all I want from you guys is to do things the right way,' " Mularkey said. "And him wearing those shoes is doing something the right way.

"If he gets a fine, I'm going to take care of that."

On Wednesday, Mularkey was happy to hear the league declined to issue a fine.

"That’s great," he said. "That’s the right thing to do. Avery did the right thing, and the NFL is doing the right thing."

For years, the NFL has strictly enforced its uniform code.

In August, the league prohibited the Dallas Cowboys from wearing a helmet sticker honoring local police.

Last season, the NFL fined two Pittsburgh Steelers players $5,787 each for first-offense uniform violations — running back DeAngelo Williams for wearing "Find the Cure" in his eye black to promote breast cancer awareness and cornerback William Gay for wearing purple cleats to raise awareness about domestic violence.

In 2013, then-Chicago Bears receiver Brandon Marshall was fined $10,500 for wearing green cleats to promote mental health awareness.

“I just felt like I got so much support across the country, and especially when the New York and New Jersey police unions said that they would pay my fine, that really meant a lot," Williamson said after the game. "So I felt like if I didn’t wear them, I just wouldn’t have felt good about it. I felt like I had to do that, just for myself and to represent the people that were lost and the people that do their jobs every day to protect us. I feel like it was just a duty.”

Reach Jason Wolf on Twitter @JasonWolf and on Instagram and Snapchat at TitansBeat.