Caleb Williams Fined Over Caddix Cleat Logos — SkimNews
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- Caleb Williams was fined $11,941 on Oct. 20 for an unauthorized Caddix logo in Week 6 against the Atlanta Falcons and $23,882 on Thursday for wearing Caddix footwear in Week 7 against the New England Patriots; his appeal of the first fine has a Nov. 10 hearing.
- Williams initially said he would not hide the Caddix logo for Monday night’s game against the Seattle Seahawks, but changed course, wore matte-black cleats to “calm things down” and had a strong performance in Chicago’s 34-17 victory.
- NFL approved Caddix as a non-licensed footwear company after it passed testing in May 2025, allowing the cleats in games but barring visible logos; Nike, Adidas and Under Armour are the only brands with current on-field logo rights.
- Caddix and investor Joe Flacco said they were willing to pay Williams’s fines, and the startup rented billboards around Chicago promising to cover them.
- Williams rejected endorsement pitches from multiple footwear companies and chose Caddix without a sponsorship, saying the cleats caused less discomfort in his feet, ankles and knees than other footwear he has worn.
- SmartStuds technology allows the tips of Caddix cleats to move with players and is intended to reduce rotational torque transmitted through the foot into knees and ankles, a force associated with non-contact ACL tears and other injuries.
- Caddix said all 32 teams have bought at least one run of its cleats, with some teams on their second or third order, as word of mouth spread the startup brand through NFL locker rooms.
Why it matters: Caddix gains from the league’s enforcement: all 32 teams have bought its cleats, and the startup is advertising its willingness to pay Williams’s $11,941 and $23,882 fines. Williams’s appeal of the first fine, with a hearing set for Nov. 10, keeps the NFL’s no-visible-logo rule for non-licensed footwear squarely in play.
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