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Week 2 in the books! Starting to get a sniff of what this season is going to be like. How can you not love it?!
What a wild Sunday. The Chiefs lose. The Cowboys and Giants slug it out in overtime. The Colts are somehow 2-0. The Bengals are also 2-0, but Joe Burrow has to get toe surgery, which is a total buzzkill. Baker Mayfield hit Rachaad White for a Tampa Bay walk-off touchdown drive on Monday Night Football. The Chargers are… good, I think? I think? We’ll see! What a week.
I don’t know how I squeaked by with a win in my fantasy football league, but it feels like a minor miracle. I’m going to thank Jake Elliot, looking flawless, and Jameson Williams, having himself a day, while I was stuffing smoked wings in my face. That said, I have some tweaking to do, and I sure would love to see Mike Evans light up and spark a little more confidence. But this column is for talking fits and football, and Week 2 did not disappoint.
Lots of great kicks around the NFL again, per usual, but…
This is extremely apropos to my interests, as a Deadhead that went to Dead 60 in Golden Gate Park back in August (…and, as a football fan). Every week, there’s one Nike kicks fit that caught my eye. For Week 2, that honor goes to Cincinnati Bengals tackle Orlando Brown Jr.
Turns out, Brown’s taste in legendary kicks is matched by his legendary backstory. The dude is a 6-foot-8, 345-pound monster taking after his late father, the equally legendary Orlando “Zeus” Brown Sr., who tragically passed away from diabetic ketoacidosis when Brown Jr. was just a teenager. If you want to understand the ‘why’ behind the player, this deep dive at the Go Long Substack is an absolute must-read.
Brown strolled into the stadium wearing one of the most iconic and sought-after sneakers of the last decade: the Nike SB Dunk Low “Grateful Dead Bears” in the green colorway.
Mike Gesicki, Orlando Brown, Noah Fant e Demetrus Knight chegando no Paycor Stadium para o jogo de hoje! pic.twitter.com/HGpk2RzWfm
— Bengals Brasil (@CincyBengalsBR) September 14, 2025
This is a very rad piece of cultural history. Released in the summer of 2020, this collaboration between Nike skateboarding and the legendary rock band Grateful Dead was an instant phenomenon. Like… the hardest of hard to get. Instantly scooped up by resellers and the always-fit-conscious in the Dead scene. I tried to buy them, got shut out, and am still pretty salty about it, even though they’ve gone down in price on the resale market. You can score a pair for like $800 now, though you have to be careful about fakes.
SHOP NIKE SNEAKERS HERE
The design is a direct homage to the “Dancing Bears,” a series of stylized bears drawn by Bob Thomas for the back cover of the 1973 album History of the Grateful Dead, Volume One (Bear’s Choice).
The shoe is a masterpiece of detail. The upper is covered in fuzzy faux fur and premium suede overlays meant to mimic the bears’ scruffy look. The jagged, two-toned Swoosh is designed to look like the bears’ jester collars. And the absolute best part is a hidden stash pocket is zipped into the puffy tongue, a not-so-subtle nod to the band’s offstage, uh… extracurriculars.
The pack dropped in three main colors: Opti Yellow, Bright Ceramic (Orange), and the Green Spark pair that Brown wore. The yellow and green pairs were tough to get, but the orange pair was an ultra-rare exclusive, making it a true “grail.” Today, a pair of the Green Bears will set you back anywhere from $800 to over $1,500 on resale sites, depending on your size.
For Orlando Brown Jr. to rock these into a game in the Green Spark is a nice little massive power move. It’s an “if you know, you know” sneaker that tells the world you’re deep in the culture. Big respect.
The Rest of the Week 2 Heat Check
Check out some of the fits over at SoleRetreiver, which did a tremendous job IDing some player sneakers during Week 2.
Lamar Jackson: The Ravens QB pulled up in the recently released Powerpuff Girls x Nike SB Dunk Low in the “Bubbles” colorway. This three-pack collab was one of the biggest drops of the holiday season, and Lamar rocking them so quickly after the release is a serious flex
via Nike
Kyler Murray: After making waves in Week 1 with the High-Tops, Kyler came through in the Low-Top Louis Vuitton x Nike Air Force 1s. The man’s LV x Nike collection is clearly second to none. Consistency is key.
Byron Murphy: The Vikings CB went with a certified classic, the Air Jordan 1 Retro High Travis Scott “Mocha.” It’s arguably the most iconic Travis Scott sneaker ever made and remains the go-to choice when you want to make a statement.
TJ Watt: The Steelers’ defensive monster showed up in the Travis Scott x Jordan Jumpman Jack TR “Sail Dark Mocha.” This is Travis Scott’s first official signature shoe, so for Watt to be wearing them already shows he’s tapped into the very latest wave of hype.
**Bryce Young:**The Panthers QB rocked the Awake NY x Air Jordan 5 Retro in “Black Racer Blue.” It’s a clean, New York-inspired collab that proves Young has got some serious taste.
Tyler Goodson: The Colts running back paid homage to a legend, wearing Virgil Abloh’s Off-White x Nike Air Force 1 Low in “MCA” blue colorway. An incredible sneaker that’s basically a piece of art.
In other NFL outfit news…
I’m completely convinced that Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift just watched Wes Anderson’s masterpiece film Rushmore, and that’s why Kelce showed up in the tunnel at Arrowhead wearing shorts and a suit. I can’t imagine losing to the Eagles and having to wear this same thing out of the stadium, that’s brutal.
I am completely obsessed with the green outfit Mac Jones wore for his first home game with the Niners. That light olive four-breasted suit combo + loafers is such a great look. I can see why a backup quarterback would want to “dress for the job you want, not the job you have.” He certainly had a lot to prove, especially after his opening three-and-out. Jones, sitting in for Brock Purdy who’s still questionable for another week, is getting a lot of praise for his job in the Niners’ 26-21 win against the Saints.
Devonta Smith just doesn’t miss with his gameday outfits, and this orange short-suit outfit was effortless.
I wonder if DeAndre Hopkins has ever had to order extra pages in his passport? Seems like the guy gets around, and does it in style. Lake Como, Paris Fashion Week with Balenciaga, The Met Gala… DeAndre Hopkins is the NFL’s international man of mystery. Truly one of the most debonair dressers in the league.
Nuk@DeAndreHopkins pic.twitter.com/RSMbxUpS8p
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 14, 2025
I love Indianapolis wide receiver Alec Pierce strolling into Lucas Oil like he’s going to *click click* a pair of metal tongs before throwing some burgers on a propane grill.
WRs at lucas oil📍 pic.twitter.com/sdf2DquM0Y
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) September 14, 2025