The NFL's icy relationship with Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch nearly took a turn for the worst prior to the NFC Championship Game on Sunday.
The polarizing running back had planned to wear a very stylish, very expensive pair of gold cleats for the title game against the Packers, but the NFL, strictly in control of the gear worn by players on the field, was not having it.
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During the NFL on Fox pregame show, Jay Glazer reported that the NFL threatened to eject Lynch from the game if he wore the shoes. "The NFL found out and actually contacted the Seahawks and threatened that if he wears the cleats, which are not league sanctioned, he will be ejected from the game," he said.
According to Glazer, the Seahawks before the game were still unsure whether Lynch would wear the cleats. But according to Packers beat writer Ty Dunne, Lynch was spotted on the field warming up in his standard green cleats.
Nike, the NFL's exclusive provider of on-field apparel, had previously warned Lynch about wearing the gold cleats.