Quarterbacks are considered the most important players on the football field, but over the last 20 years wide receivers have become the most flamboyant and among the highest paid. Their celebrations and glitzy personas have captivated NFL fans, from diva receiver Terrell Owens and his sharpie to Joe Horn, Chad Johnson, and other over-the-top personalities at the position.
Love them or hate them, these guys brought a new energy and attention to the position and the way elite playmakers brand themselves and collect top dollar. With NFL money being thrown around at high rates for the elite pass-snatchers in a pass-first era, it’s only right that the top dawgs of today take the extravagance to another level.
Wide receiver Justin Jefferson and the Minnesota Vikings agreed to an historicfour-year, $140 million contract that extends through 2028 and that includes $110 million guaranteed. At $35 million per year, Jefferson became the highest-average-paid non-QB in NFL history at the time of signing. He loves to flaunt that wealth while on the field Sundays.
Is Jefferson’s Bling Going To Get Him Fined By NFL?
The NFL has strict rules on players wearing jewelry that violates safety precautions. Chains, rings and earrings are allowed, as they don’t present a risk. That’s why players often tuck their chains under their pads. Some wear silicone rings instead of metals.
Jefferson is shining as evinced by his spectacular performance in a 21-13 Minnesota Vikings win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night, when the 25-year-old hauled in seven clutch catches for 137 yards and added to his résumé by completing a 22-yard pass. He also has the entire swag package with shining gold fronts and chains that stay icy.
On Sunday night, however, Jefferson surely pushed it to the limits with a million-dollar iced-out chain and reportedly $200,000 diamond grills, wearing both in the game. He’s performing in this expensive jewelry, which has got to have piqued the interest of the No Fun League.
A league that once called out the fashionable Odell Beckham Jr. for wearing cleats that didn’t fit the league’s approved color scheme. League rules allow jewelry but not “hard objects.”
That’s also why OBJ’s limited Richard Mille watch that retails at $190,000, caused him some heat from the league back in 2019. According to NFL spokesman Michael Signora, OBJ was warned, but he didn’t seem to care too much.
Jefferson’s chain could also be considered a “hard object.”
His teeth bling could also be considered a safety risk if the NFL so chooses. The ice on his neck, dangling around as he dives for balls or dips through receivers after the catch could be deemed unsafe as well. It’s clear on the video that he has tried to tape it down, but as the game wore on, you could visibly see the ice shining and shaking.
It’s a thin line, but the NFL has the final call on whether or not to find a player and expand or enforce league guidelines.
NFL Has Strict Policy On Certain Individual Expression: Players Have Faced Hefty Fines
There are a bevy of other rules that players must follow and fans could care less about, including not wearing personal messages on their bodies during games.
In response to Jefferson’s bling, One X, NLE Choppa, said: “That’s sexy until somebody’s finger gets ripped off.”
Another said, “Looks like someone just walked into a freezer! What’s going on over there?”
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens was fined $10,231 for an explicit remark he had written on his eye black during the game in Week 5 of the 2024 NFL season, when Justin Fields was quarterback, prior to Russell Wilson returning and re-invigorating the deep passing attack.
Pickens wrote “open f****** always” on his eye black. When Pickens was asked about it, he told media he was unaware of the uniform policy the NFL had, saying, “It’s just eye black.”
The NFL has been so strict on personal expression in the past that they have received backlash from fans for being so inflexible. DeAngelo Williams walked on the field in 2015 and honored his mother, a breast cancer survivor, with the message “find the cure” on his eye blacks. The league understood his good intention but still hit him with a $6,000 fine for breaking this rule.
Related: NFL forbids DeAngelo Williams from wearing pink after October
Current Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Deandre Hopkins has felt the wrath of the league’s strict policy on attire and accessories.
Kanye West’s Yeezy brand was at one time a staple among hip athletes and when Hopkins decided to rock a cleat version of the popular shoe after signing an endorsement deal with Adidas, the NFL fined him $6,000 for wearing the “Turtle Dove” Yeezys in a 2016 game.
The Yeezy 350 Cleat was released in September 2016 at a retail price of $250, but is no longer available online. Now it’s a collector’s item.
The jewelry game is getting heavy these days. There are several players known for their signature ice while performing at a high level on the gridiron.
New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara is known for rocking diamond grillz, but Edgerrin James was also doing that back in the days. Marshawn Lynch’s “Beast Mode” chain is forever linked to his transcending brand.
James, who played in the NFL as one of the premier running back stars from 1999-2009 for the Colts, Cardinals and Seahawks, says he even lost endorsements and business opportunities because he stayed true to his gold teeth and dreads, which at the time, wasn’t a look that was as mainstream.
“We didn’t have people with dread and gold teeth that was part of the commercial side or business side of the NFL,” James said in an interview. “So, when it came to marketing and companies, they didn’t expect me to blow up like that. When I got on the scene, everything went fast and when that started happening opportunities started coming.”
James pointed to the fact that the NFL didn’t understand the Miami culture he was birthed from, and he decided to be himself. He’s a legend and pioneer in that regard.
“When those opportunities started coming there’s something that goes with it,” James said.
James says companies would tell him that they would like for him to endorse their product but wanted him to make adjustments in his appearance because in their opinion the consumer “probably wouldn’t be receptive to this.”
So, I said nah I’ll just pass on that I’m just going to be myself,” said the Hall of Famer.
Justin Jefferson Has No Concern About Damaging His Jewels During Game
When asked if he was worrying about damaging his luxurious pieces, Jefferson confidently expressed a similar attitude towards it, saying, “I’ve got insurance.”
The jewelry on the field is getting more extravagant by the day, a new age ushered in by the NFL’s glamor position. Will the NFL step in?
