Cincinnati Bengals right tackle Amarius Mims continued his impressive season of pass protection against the Miami Dolphins. Mims allowed just two pressures on 33 pass blocking snaps in the 31-24 win, another building block for his case as the best pass-protecting RT in the NFL through five weeks. He’s also stayed healthy to begin the season, continuing the show his durability concerns from the past are staying there.

The only snaps Mims has missed have had nothing to do with injury, and his only issues this year have had nothing to do with the opposition.

His cleats, on the other hand, are a different story.

Amarius Mims’ cleat problem pops up again for the Bengals

Mims needs to find a solution to what is now a recurring problem. Three weeks ago, his size 16 Nike Zoom Code Elites “exploded,” forcing him to miss three snaps of the game.

It happened again in Miami. Mims found himself on the sideline for three plays once again, because his shoe fell apart in the middle of the action.

One time is nothing to worry about. Two times is the start of a problem. Mims is a very large individual at 6-8, 340 pounds. That is still no excuse for two different pairs of shoes to fail him in the middle of a game.

Mims challenges the big names of the industry

Mims is rightfully fed up with the situation. When he explained what happened to reporters after the game, he called on shoe manufacturers to step up and find him a solution.

“It’s crazy because that was the second I pair busted open, but that was my first time wearing the shoe,” Mims told WLWT’s Jaron May after the game. “Like I just got these in literally before we left for Miami, before we got on the plane, and I wore them. I looked down, man. My shoes are talking, man. My big toe. I see my big toe. I said, ‘Oh God, man, it’s not good.’

“So I don’t know what we gotta do, man. If anybody wants a big man to wear their cleats from Nike, Adidas, Jordan, you know, just hit me up, man, because I’m going through these cleats like I don’t know what man.”

This problem needs a permanent fix

A few snaps here and there may not sound like a big deal. However, the drop-off from Mims to the next man up is noticeable, and Sunday’s game showed exactly why.

Mims’ replacement, Javon Foster, gave up a sack while he was in for Mims. Fortunately for Cincinnati, an offside penalty wiped the play off the board. The Bengals won’t always be that lucky.

Mims has been the Bengals’ best offensive lineman bar none through five games. He has kept the right side clean, and he has been on the field for nearly every snap. The only thing taking him out of the equation is something that is pretty much inexcusable. Plain and simple, an equipment failure shouldn’t be what pulls a team’s best lineman off the field, and it certainly shouldn’t happen twice in three weeks.

Bye week comes at a perfect time

The good news is the timing. The Bengals head into their bye week, which gives Mims and the team’s equipment staff time to sort out a shoe that can actually hold up under a man his size.

Mims has made his pitch public. Nike, Adidas, and Jordan were all named, and the door is open for anyone who can build a cleat that lasts four quarters.

So to all the big-time football cleat manufacturers out there, Mims is putting you on the spot. Get him right after the bye week.