Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was fined $11,941 by the NFL for wearing an unauthorized logo on his Caddix cleats in Week 6 against the Atlanta Falcons, then fined again $23,882 for Week 7 against the New England Patriots. The league said he could avoid penalties by covering the logo, which he did for Monday night's game against the Seattle Seahawks, wearing matte black cleats in a 34-17 victory.
Caddix, founded by Jack Rasmussen, became a breakthrough brand this season after NFL approval as a non-licensed footwear company. However, only Nike, Adidas and Under Armour are permitted to display logos on the field. Williams, who has no endorsement deal with Caddix, chose the cleats after past footwear caused pain in his feet, ankles and knees. His father Carl connected him with quarterback coach Tom Gormely, who knew of the small start-up.
Joe Flacco was the first NFL player to wear Caddix on the field in 2024 with the Indianapolis Colts. Williams trained in the cleats this offseason and grew to love them, but the fines created controversy before he agreed to cover the logo and calm things down for his team.
Source: ESPN NFL · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing