Caleb Williams fined $23,882 for Caddix cleats — SkimNews
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- Caleb Williams was fined $23,882 by the NFL for wearing Caddix cleats in Week 7, double the $11,941 Week 6 penalty over the shoe’s unauthorized logo.
- NFL footwear rules require players using non-partner brands to cover the logo; only Nike, Adidas and Under Armour have league partnerships, making Williams’ cleat choice a uniform violation.
- Caleb Williams said Wednesday that he does not plan to cover or black out the Caddix logo for Chicago’s game at the Seattle Seahawks on Monday, and he has appealed the Week 6 fine.
- Caddix said it will pay Williams’ Week 6 fine if his appeal fails, while founder Jack Rasmussen called the cleats one of the safest pairs players can wear from a safety standpoint.
- SmartStuds are designed, according to Caddix’s website, to flex and release during cutting and pivoting, reducing rotational force associated with noncontact ACL tears and other knee and ankle injuries.
- Caleb Williams said his joints, ankles, knees and feet have not bothered him as much in Caddix as in other cleats; an estimated 40 NFL players were wearing the brand.
- Caleb Williams became the first Bears quarterback since Mitchell Trubisky in 2018 to record back-to-back 300-yard passing games after returning from a hamstring injury.
Why it matters: Williams is in open conflict with the NFL’s footwear code: he plans to keep the logo uncovered for Monday’s game at Seattle, and Caddix will cover the first penalty if his appeal fails. The $23,882 second fine raises Williams’s direct cost, while the first $11,941 penalty remains under appeal.
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