The NFL has a new hoodie rule, outlawing the garment for players participating in a game on the
field of play, a league source told ESPN Thursday.
Former Green Bay Packers wide receiver James Jones drew the attention of the NFL by wearing a hoodie last season, which would drape over his jersey nameplate, according to the sports network. Because the issue is a uniform policy adjustment, it did not need a vote of the owners.
Mike Pereira, the NFL's former vice president of officiating and now a Fox Sports analyst, first broke the news on Twitter Wednesday.
"The No Fun League strikes again, this time with a ban on
hoodies," wrote Jordan Heck of Sporting News. "The league isn't banning hoodies altogether (you're safe, Bill Belichick), but it no longer will allow players to wear hoodies that extend past their jerseys. Only one player last season rocked the fashion trend — Packers wide receiver James Jones, currently a free agent."
Jones in January tweeted, possibly in jest, that me may wear the hoodie even more after the NFL Network posted a graphic showing that he was making three more catches and gaining 30 more yards per game wearing the hoodie.
While some fans pointed to the safety aspect of the "no hoodie" rule, others blasted it on social media.