NFL Doubles Down On Caleb Williams Fines Over Science Cleats Despite 80 Players Wearing Them

Caleb Williams defies NFL despite $35,823 in fines© X formally Twitter

Caleb Williams has a footwear problem, and it is getting expensive. The Chicago Bears quarterback has paid $35,823 in fines over two games for wearing Caddix cleats with the logo showing. He has appealed and plans to keep wearing them uncovered. Caddix is a tiny company with four employees, and it now has a starting NFL quarterback promoting it for free. Next comes Monday Night Football against the Seahawks, where league rules allow officials to keep a player off the field.

Caleb Williams fined for Caddix cleats

The NFL fined Williams $11,941 for an unauthorized logo in Week 6 against the Falcons. A $23,882 fine followed after Week 7 against the Patriots. He had worn the same cleats before without a penalty, and the league has not answered OutKick's questions about the change.

Williams is not backing down. "They're smart cleats. They're science cleats, and they've been working for me," he told reporters. He says the studs help him stay on the field, which matters after his recent return from a hamstring injury. Caddix says its SmartStuds technology uses flexible studs to ease twisting stress on knees and ankles.

Caddix CEO Jack Rasmussen does not blame the league. "I get why he was fined, 100%. I totally get it. We're not a league sponsor, and we can't afford to be or want to be a league sponsor." Money explains the rule. Nike, Adidas and Under Armour pay the NFL tens of millions of dollars to be official partners. Other brands, like Josh Allen's New Balance cleats, show up without visible logos.

Caddix NFL cleats and the risk of a benching

Rasmussen says more than 80 players wear Caddix, including Cooper Kupp, Marlon Humphrey and Jalen Ramsey. "We have over 80 athletes wearing them. We haven't paid them a dollar," he said. As far as he knows, Williams is the only one who has been fined.

Joe Flacco, who invested in the company, has offered to help. "If Caleb gets fined again for wearing Caddix, I'll pay the fine myself," Flacco told ESPN.

Another fine may be the mild outcome. NFL policy, reproduced in a 2016 federal appeals court case, says violations found in pregame checks must be fixed before kickoff or the player cannot enter the game. The league has not said it will sit Williams. Still, the rule gives it a way to do so.

For now, the appeal is pending and the logo stays uncovered. Monday night will show whether Williams tapes it over or takes the field with it in plain view.