Williams Keeps Caddix Cleats After $11,941 NFL Fine — SkimNews
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- Caleb Williams was fined $11,941 by the NFL after the Bears' Week 6 win over the Falcons for wearing Caddix cleats with an uncovered logo, even though he had worn them all year without penalty until Week 6.
- Caleb Williams said he will keep the cleats for Week 7, saying they are comfortable and that he believes they take tension off his tendons and joints, with staying healthy and on the field his stated priority.
- Caddix says its patented SmartStuds flex and release under load, deforming slightly during pivots and cuts so studs release quicker from the playing surface, and Williams credits the technology with reducing tension on his body.
- NFL generally permits unapproved cleats as long as the logo is covered — only Nike, Adidas and Under Armour hold league partnerships — so the stated compromise for Williams is black tape or a black marker over the Caddix logo.
- Joe Flacco, the first NFL player to wear Caddix in 2024 and now an investor in the company, offered to pay any of Williams' future fines, saying the gear is about safety rather than breaking rules for attention.
- Caddix grew from a single NFL user in 2024 to more than 60 players as of October 2026, though a Zack Pearson post from October 24, 2026 put the number of players wearing the cleats this season at nearly 40.
Why it matters: The NFL's complaint is branding, not safety: unapproved cleats are permitted if the logo is covered, so black tape over the Caddix mark would satisfy the rule. With Joe Flacco offering to cover future penalties, the money at stake is about $12,000 a week, while Caddix has grown from one NFL user in 2024 to more than 60.
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