Chicago Bears Quarterback Fined $23,882 for Unauthorized Cleats in Week 7
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has been fined $23,882 by the NFL for wearing unauthorized Caddix cleats during his team’s Week 7 matchup. The penalty marks the second time the league has disciplined the signal-caller over the footwear, doubling the $11,941 fine he received in Week 6 after returning from a hamstring injury.
Bears QB Caleb Williams’ workout concluded at 9:27 am here at Lambeau Field. He did a variety of different throws, including his “Superman.” pic.twitter.com/fcT8tL7Ieg
Uniform Violations and Brand Restrictions
The league enforces strict uniform guidelines that limit on-field footwear partnerships exclusively to Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour. Because Caddix lacks an official league partnership, any player sporting the brand must black out or completely cover the company’s logo. Williams has drawn violations for leaving the branding visible on his cleats during games.
Player Stance and Safety Rationale
Despite the escalating financial penalties, Williams stated he does not plan to cover or alter the Caddix logo ahead of Chicago’s Monday game against the Seattle Seahawks. The quarterback has already appealed his Week 6 fine, according to a source. Williams defended his choice of footwear by pointing to the brand’s patented “SmartStuds” technology, which is engineered to flex and release during cutting and pivoting to reduce rotational torque on knees and ankles.
Williams explained his perspective on the footwear, stating: As we’ve known for the past couple of years now, I’m huge into my body. I’m huge into trying to stay on the field. 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 1, 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.
Williams added: 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.
Manufacturer Backing and League-Wide Usage
Caddix founder Jack Rasmussen addressed the disciplinary action in a statement to ESPN, noting that the company stands fully behind its product and will cover the fines if Williams’ appeals are unsuccessful. Rasmussen asserted that the footwear ranks among the safest options available to athletes from a safety metric perspective. Approximately 40 players across the league currently wear the brand’s cleats.
Injury Recovery and Recent On-Field Production
Williams initially integrated the Caddix cleats into his rotation during the preseason and the first two regular-season games before a hamstring strain sidelined him from Weeks 3 through 5. Upon returning to action against the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots, Williams became the first Bears quarterback since Mitchell Trubisky (2018) to record back-to-back 300-yard passing games. ProFootballTalk initially broke the news regarding the quarterback’s second disciplinary notice.
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