Michael Jordan has intervened in the Jalen Hurts saga as the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback prepares to face a second fine from the NFL.

Hurts was fined last week after wearing two different colored cleats and violating the league’s dress code. It’s not the first time that a sporting superstar has fallen foul of the rules with Jordan previously breaking the NBA’s uniform policy when he wore his now iconic Air Jordans 40 years.

Fast forward four decades and Jordan finds himself in the thick of it again, this time through his brand, as Hurts faces a second fine from the NFL after he wore the same miscolored cleats against the Washington Commanders on Sunday.

Hurts is a Jordan Brand athlete who regularly wears Air Jordan cleats in player-exclusive colorways and even sometimes pairs cleats from different colorways and models. But he found himself in hot water in the win over the Pittsburgh Steelers as he was reportedly fined $5,628 for being in breach of the league’s uniform and equipment rules.

The rulebook states that “a player may wear shoes that are black, white, or any Constitutional team color, or any combination of black, white, and a Constitutional team color.” And Hurts appears to be subjected to a fine again after pairing the same cleats in the Washington defeat.

The signal caller claimed that the shoes he was supposed to wear didn’t arrive in time. With him instead choosing the Kelly Green left cleat and the Midnight Green colorway of the Air Jordan 11 on his right foot.

Jalen Hurts

Hurts wore two different colored Jordan cleats

However, Nike and the Jordan brand have weighed in on the saga with Jordan saying that it will pick up the fine for Hurts if the 26-year-old is punished again. “We’re paying the fine,” the Jordan brand said in a statement. “You can’t ban greatness.”

Jordan was fined a reported $5,000 a game for wearing Air Jordans that weren’t an approved color during his career with Nike also covering the fines as the Jordan signature shoes boomed in popularity. The NBA has since relaxed the rules about the colors of shoes a player is allowed to wear.

Hurts was taken out of the Eagles’ game against the Commanders after being hit in the head by middle linebacker duo Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu. In what appeared to be a precautionary decision, Hurts emerged from the blue tent following evaluation and concussion checks wearing his helmet and practicing throwing but the Eagles opted not to risk the quarterback ahead of the postseason.

Philadelphia need to win just one of their final two regular season games to win their division which would mean the Eagles will get at least one home game in the playoffs. However, their bid to finish top seed took a major dent in the last-gasp defeat with the Kansas City Chiefs’ 14-1 record putting them clear front runners.