Caleb Williams Risks Another NFL Fine As Chicago Bears QB Refuses To Give Up His Favorite Cleats

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams wears Caddix cleats during a game© Image via: X/@NFL

Caleb Williams has a message for the NFL, and it fits on the side of his shoe. The Chicago Bears quarterback was fined $11,941 for showing a Caddix logo against the Atlanta Falcons. He did not even flinch. Williams wore the same black cleats a week later against the New England Patriots, and he says he will keep doing it. His reason has nothing to do with money or a sponsor. He reportedly paid for the shoes himself. He believes they keep his body healthy, and he cares about that far more than any penalty.

Why Caleb Williams Trusts His Caddix Cleats Despite The NFL Fine

Williams is chasing availability, not attention. A hamstring injury against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2 forced him to miss three games, and he came back determined to protect his body. He laid out his thinking on Wednesday.

"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," Williams told reporters.

"They are a science type of cleat. It's something that focuses on when you plant in the hard plants, on turf or grass… so they take tension off of your tendons and your joints and all of that. I'm focused on being able to be out here for the guys. And if that can give me a small percentage up and it works, then that's what I'm gonna do."

Caddix says its SmartStuds flex under pressure to ease twisting forces on the knees and ankles. That is the company's claim, and Williams does not oversell it. He cannot say whether the shoes played any part in his hamstring recovery. He does say his lower body feels different.

"I think my joints, my ankles and my knees and my feet haven't bothered me as much from the other cleats that I've worn," Williams said. "They've worked for me, and I feel that I feel a difference. That's my opinion, and somebody else can have another."

#Bears QB Caleb Williams says he will continue wearing Caddix cleats despite being fined by the NFL, believing the science behind the cleats could help improve his availability both now and in the future. “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. They take tension off of your tendons, your joints and all of that. ... I'm focused on being able to be out here for the guys. And if that can give me a small percentage up and it works, then that's what I'm gonna do.”

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 29, 2026

That is a personal view, not a medical verdict, and he admits as much.

What The NFL Footwear Rules Mean For The Chicago Bears Quarterback

The league allows only Nike, Adidas and Under Armour to show logos on game day. Other brands are fine if players cover the mark. Williams wore a white pair earlier and drew no fine. The black pair against the Atlanta Falcons did. His appeal is pending, and Caddix founder Jack Rasmussen has offered to pay this fine and any future ones. About 40 players around the league wear the brand. Next, the Chicago Bears, now 5-2, face the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night.