Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams made it clear last week he wasn’t going to stop wearing his Caddix cleats, even if it cost him some money.
Now the NFL is making it clear it isn’t backing down either.
The league fined Williams $23,882 for wearing cleats with an “unauthorized logo” in the Bears’ 30-24 win over the New England Patriots in Week 7, according to ESPN.
The punishment is double the $11,941 fine Williams was hit with for wearing the same cleats in his Week 6 return from a hamstring injury against the Atlanta Falcons.
NFL Sends Clear Message to Caleb Williams
The NFL’s problem isn’t with the cleats themselves, it’s the logo on them.
Only Nike, Adidas and Under Armour have footwear partnerships with the NFL, so a player who wears another brand is required to cover up the logo. Williams hasn’t done that, and he’s already appealed the first fine, which still hasn’t been resolved.
He presumably will appeal the second one too. Either way, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio expects the league to keep raising the amount Williams is fined each week until he complies.
So how far will Williams take it?
Florio noted the NFL could, in theory, eventually keep Williams from playing in the cleats. However, neither fine letter sent to the third-year QB has warned that’s a possibility.
Why Caleb Williams is Bullish About His Cleats
Williams explained his reasoning Wednesday — a day before he was notified of the second fine — and it has everything to do with staying healthy.
“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.”
Caddix’s SmartStuds are designed to rotate and release under pressure to cut down on non-contact knee and ankle injuries.
Caleb Williams Isn’t Backing Down From the NFL
Williams is one of an estimated 40 NFL players wearing them, and he doesn’t have an endorsement deal with the company.
That hasn’t stopped Caddix from having his back. Founder Jack Rasmussen has already said the company will cover the fines if Williams loses his appeal.
“From a safety metric perspective, Caleb’s cleats are one of the safest pairs players can wear,” Rasmussen said in a statement to ESPN.
He isn’t the only one willing to pick up the tab either.
Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Flacco, who wears Caddix cleats and is listed as one of the company’s advisers, offered to chip in for Williams’ accruing debt.
“If Caleb gets fined again for wearing Caddix, I’ll pay the fine myself,” Flacco said.
He may get his chance soon. Williams told ESPN he has no plans to cover the Caddix logo when the 5-2 Bears visit the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night.
Bears QB Caleb Williams Hit With NFL Punishment After Openly Defying League Rules