Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has been fined again by the NFL for wearing Caddix cleats with a visible logo during a game. The latest penalty comes to $23,882 after the team’s 30-24 win over the New England Patriots in Week 7.
That amount is double the $11,941 fine Williams received for the same issue in the Bears’ Week 6 victory against the Atlanta Falcons. Combined, the two penalties total $35,823 so far.
The NFL only has footwear partnerships with Nike, Adidas and Under Armour. Players can wear other brands, but any logo from a non-partner must be covered up on game day. Williams has not done that with his black Caddix pair, which features a clear gray logo.
He has already appealed the first fine, and that process is still open. League officials have not indicated in either fine letter that Williams could eventually be barred from playing in the cleats.
Williams, 24 and in his third season, made it plain earlier in the week that he intends to keep wearing the shoes uncovered. That includes Monday night’s game against the Seattle Seahawks as the 5-2 Bears look to stay in the playoff picture.
“I’m huge into trying to stay on the field,” Williams said. “I’m huge into trying to be healthy. It’s a rough game and things like that. So the cleats, they’ve been great. They’ve been super comfy and they’ve worked. They are a science-type of cleat. It’s something that focuses on when you plant on the hard plants on turf or grass — they call them SmartStuds, and they move when you move in these hard plants.
“They take tension off of your tendons, your joints and all of that. So over the course of a long career or over the course of a long year, when you can take some percentage — it could be one, it could be 50, it could be 12, it could be whatever, you know — when you take that percentage off consistently over a period of time, you know, you get to have the chance, a higher chance of being healthy.
“I try to be healthy. They’re smart cleats. They’re science cleats, and they’ve been working for me. A bunch of other guys wear them in the league, and they’re forward-focused on making sure players stay on the field, and that’s what I’m always focused on.”
The SmartStuds are built to flex and release under pressure, which the company says reduces torque on knees and ankles during hard cuts. Williams has no endorsement deal with Caddix and simply bought the cleats himself.
Caddix founder Jack Rasmussen has said the company will cover the fines if the appeals do not succeed. “From a safety metric perspective, Caleb’s cleats are one of the safest pairs players can wear,” Rasmussen said in a statement to ESPN. “Regardless if this is a marketing fine or not, I’m happy to pay it.”
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco, who wears the cleats and serves as a company adviser, has also stepped in. “If Caleb gets fined again for wearing Caddix, I’ll pay the fine myself,” Flacco said.
Williams is one of an estimated 40 NFL players currently using the brand. He wore all-white versions earlier in the season and in the preseason without drawing a fine because the logo was less visible. The black pair with the prominent mark has been the issue in the last two games.
He missed Weeks 3 through 5 with a hamstring injury before returning for the Falcons game. In his last two outings he became the first Bears quarterback since Mitchell Trubisky in 2018 to post back-to-back 300-yard passing games, throwing for 305 and 308 yards.
Through four games this season Williams has completed 71 percent of his passes for 1,020 yards, five touchdowns and one interception with a 105.6 passer rating. The Bears sit at 5-2 heading into the Seattle matchup.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio has noted that the league could keep increasing the fine amounts each week if Williams continues to show the logo. For now the second fine simply doubles the first, and Williams has given no indication he plans to tape over the branding anytime soon.
