Jordan Brand will make its NFL on-field debut this season, with Jordan XI PE cleats that will be worn by 20 players around the league that have signed on to Jordan’s roster. Thirteen of those players have been with Jordan, but now will get to wear the cleats on the field for the first time — Nike holding uniform rights has its perks — and seven new players have been added to the team Jordan roster.
Le’Veon Bell headlines the new crop of Jordan athletes, and his presence on the roster and in Jordan’s Thursday press release is especially interesting considering his current holdout from the Steelers. Bell has not reported to the Pittsburgh facility with their Week 1 matchup against the Browns looming in mere days, and all indications are his holdout will continue into the season until a new deal is reached.
This has caused some tension in the Pittsburgh locker room, with a number of his teammates, most of whom are on the offensive line, ripping into Bell for his continued hold out on Wednesday. It’s rare for players to speak out on a teammate’s contract situation, but Bell’s absence for a Steelers team expecting to compete for a Super Bowl this year has caused players to apparently reach a breaking point.
Bell will be missing out on checks from the Steelers, but he’ll at least be collecting money from Jordan (his PEs seen above). Given there’s usually stipulations regarding wearing the gear on field, however, he’s probably not maximizing that deal right now either. The other new faces for Jordan this year are Bobby Wagner, Jimmy Garoppolo, Jordan Howard, Michael Thomas, Sterling Shepard, and Tyrann Mathieu.
The full Jordan football roster can be found below, with all 20 players receiving Jordan XI PEs this year that will bring some added heat to the football field.
Alshon Jeffery (Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver)
Bobby Wagner (Seattle Seahawks linebacker)
Corey Coleman (Buffalo Bills wide receiver)
DeShone Kizer (Green Bay Packers quarterback)
Earl Thomas (Seattle Seahawks safety)
Golden Tate (Detroit Lions wide receiver)
Jalen Ramsey (Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback)
Jamal Adams (New York Jets safety)
Jimmy Garoppolo (San Francisco 49ers quarterback)
Joe Haden (Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback)
Jordan Howard (Chicago Bears running back)
Jordan Reed (Washington Redskins tight end)
Le’Veon Bell (Pittsburgh Steelers running back)
Malik Hooker (Indianapolis Colts safety)
Melvin Ingram (San Diego Chargers linebacker)
Michael Crabtree (Baltimore Ravens wide receiver)
Michael Thomas (New Orleans Saints wide receiver)
Sterling Shepard (New York Giants wide receiver)
Thomas Davis (Carolina Panthers linebacker)
Tyrann Mathieu (Houston Texans safety)
