NFL Fines Steelers’ Conner, Smith-Schuster For Violating Sock Policy

It was revealed on Tuesday afternoon the NFL fined Pittsburgh Steelers running back James Connor and wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster for not properly wearing their socks during a 27-24 win over the Tennessee Titans on Oct. 25.

Smith-Schuster shared a copy of the letter alerting him to the fine on Instagram, circling the part that said, “Specifically, your stockings failed to cover your lower leg.”

According to Rule 5, Section 4, Article 3, Item 6 of the NFL rulebook, “stockings must cover the entire area from the shoe to the bottom of the pants and must meet the pants below the knee. Players are permitted to wear as many layers of stockings and tape on the lower leg as they prefer, provided the exterior is either a: (a) one-piece stocking that includes solid white from the top of the shoe to the mid-point of the lower leg, and approved team color or colors (non-white) from that point to the top of the stocking; or (b) solid color stocking (i.e., entire stocking from bottom of pant leg to top of shoe), but all players must be in the same stocking style and color in any particular game.

“Solid stockings must be a consistent color from the bottom of the pant leg to the top of the shoe. Uniform stockings may not be altered (e.g., over-stretched, cut at the toes, or sewn short) in order to bring the line between solid white and team colors lower or higher than the mid-point of the lower leg. No other stockings and/or opaque tape may be worn over the one-piece, two-color uniform stocking. Barefoot punters and placekickers may omit the stocking of the kicking foot in preparation for and during kicking plays.”

Conner and Smith-Schuster were fined $5,000 apiece, though they can appeal the league’s decision. If upheld, their fines will be donated to charity through the NFL Foundation.

Photos courtesy of @Steelers on Twitter and @juju on Instagram.