Amarius Mims — and his shoe — is exploding into the NFL’s elite tier

Cincinnati Bengals right tackle Amarius Mims experienced a bizarre equipment malfunction on Sunday against the Houston Texans when his cleat exploded during a pass-blocking set against Dominique Robinson. The 6-foot-8, 340-pound lineman tore through his size 16 Nike shoe due to his raw power, drawing comparisons to Zion Williamson's famous 2019 college basketball sneaker blowout. Mims swapped into a backup pair of cleats and returned to action three plays later.

The 23-year-old tackle continues to establish himself among the league's elite offensive linemen. Across his first two games of the season, Mims logged 72 pass-protection dropbacks without surrendering a single hit or pressure, successfully holding off prominent Texans edge rushers Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter.