Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams drew the ire of the NFL two weeks ago in a 31-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons.
Williams didn’t do anything controversial on the field, but a fashion decision he made when it came to his gear is what landed him in hot water.
The NFL fined WIlliams $11,941 for wearing Caddix cleats — not because of the cleats themselves but because of an unauthorized logo on them. But that’s not deterring the third-year QB.
Caleb Williams Has Defiant Message for NFL
The NFL reportedly didn’t have a problem with Williams’ Caddix cleats themselves. The issue is Caddix doesn’t have an NFL footwear deal.
The company also acknowledged that Williams doesn’t have a brand deal with the company either and that he pays for his cleats himself.
However, Williams is appealing his fine — which CEO Jack Rasmussen says it will pay for plus any future ones if Williams keeps wearing the cleats — and he plans to continue to keep wearing them despite the fact that he could keep getting punished for doing so.
“Williams has appealed the fine, and his argument will be, we’re told, that he believes the shoes are safer than the shoe options that are officially licensed by the NFL,” Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wrote.
“He has worn the same type of shoe throughout the 2026 preseason and during all regular-season games in which he has played. (Williams) was not fined for Week 1 and Week 2. He has yet to be fined for the Week 7 Thursday night game against the Patriots.”
Williams Plans to Fight NFL Over Caddix Cleats
Florio also reported that the letter sent to Williams about the fine didn’t mention the NFL barring him from playing with the Caddix logo visible.
That distinction matters.
Williams’ punishment is about branding under the NFL’s uniform and equipment rules, not a league order that Williams stop wearing the footwear in future games. The NFL allows players to wear other brands, but their logos must be removed or covered.
Why is WIlliams willing to metaphorically die on this hill? It has to do with performance and injury risk reduction.
“(Caleb) bought our cleats because they’re the only ones built with SmartStuds™ to release under injurious load, reducing the force responsible for non-contact knee and ankle injuries,” Rasmussen said in a statement.
“So here’s our position: Caddix will cover Caleb’s fines. We respect the league’s rules on branding. But no player should have to choose between the cleat that adds to performance and the logo on the side.”
Caddix’s SmartStuds technology is designed to flex and rotate under pressure with the goal of reducing rotational force on the knees and ankles. Given that Williams scrambles quite a bit, and he rolls out of the pocket quite often, having footwear that protects against potential injury could be invaluable.
Bears QB Caleb Williams Sends Defiant Message to NFL After Fine