The NFL fined Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams $11,941 for wearing an “unauthorized logo” in the Week 6 game against the Falcons. He got another uniform violation fine in the Week 7 win over the Patriots, and the fine doubled to $23,882. All because he wore Caddix cleats, a brand that is not officially partnered with the NFL.
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Williams has stood his ground, but so has Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco, who is offering to help out the Chicago QB.
“If Caleb gets fined again for wearing Caddix, I’ll pay the fine myself,” Flacco said, per a statement to ESPN. “I’ve worn these cleats for years, and I know firsthand the difference they make. When you’re playing at this level, you need equipment you can trust.
“This isn’t about making a statement or breaking the rules just to break them. It’s about wearing gear that works for you and helps keep you safe on the field. If Caleb believes in Caddix the way I do, I’m happy to stand behind him.”
Flacco is an advisor and investor in Caddix. He has been wearing these scientific cleats since 2024. The company prides over its SmartStuds technology, which reduces torque and chances of non-contact lower body injuries.
Williams has appealed against the fine, and said that he will continue to wear Caddix cleats. Funnily enough, the fine for the Week 6 game came after he had played the Patriots, in which he had also worn Caddix.
“I’m huge into trying to stay on the field. I’m huge into trying to be healthy,” Williams said, via ESPN. “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.
“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 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. And so that’s what I focus on.
The NFL prohibits players from wearing, displaying, or orally promoting brands that carry commercial names or logos of unauthorized companies. The league, however, allows players to display brands like Under Armour, Nike, and Adidas, as they are official partners.
In the preseason this year, Houston Texans cornerback Jaylin Smith was fined for a uniform violation, sporting an unauthorized logo during the warmups. It is unclear which alternate brand Smith was wearing. But after Smith had appealed the fine, it was only reduced to $6,223.
Meanwhile, founder and CEO of Caddix Jack Rasmussen clarified the situation.
“Caleb didn’t sign a deal with us. We have not paid him and are not paying him,” Rasmussen officially responded to Williams’ hefty fine via LinkedIn. “He 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.
“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.”
Rasmussen, in an interview with USA Lacrosse, said that he was pushed to address the injury risk in athletes after watching Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Hunt tear his ACL. Until that injury, he had multiple seasons of 1000+ rushing yards. He could never get back to that ceiling in his career after the injury.
Interestingly, Williams had been wearing Caddix when he went down with the hamstring injury in Week 2. The QB confirmed he tore his hamstring, which is a serious injury. However, he was able to return after only three missed games. Whether or not Caddix cleats played a role in this comeback is tough to say, but Williams is operating at a very high level since coming back.
In the two games he has played after the injury, the Bears QB has thrown for more than 300 yards and scored three total touchdowns.
But will the NFL and Williams keep going at each other as long as he wears the cleats? We will have to wait and watch to see who puts their fight down first.