The NFL fined Bears quarterback Caleb Williams $11,941 for the cleats he wore in his return from a hamstring injury Oct. 18 against the Falcons, and he likely will be paying another fine for wearing them again Thursday against the Patriots.
The league said it fined Williams for a uniform violation because he wore cleats made by Caddix, a relatively new company that says the studs it uses will reduce non-contact knee and ankle injuries.
The NFL has partnerships with only Nike, Adidas and Under Armour. If a player wears a shoe made by any other brand, he must cover the logo. Players can’t promote any non-partner on game days, from pregame warmups through postgame media availability, and the league noted in its letter to Williams that the policy was communicated to all players before the season.
Williams wore Caddix cleats during the preseason and in the first two games of the regular season, including when he suffered a hamstring injury against the Vikings. But they were all-white, so the logo wasn’t prominent enough to cause an issue. Against the Falcons and Patriots, Williams wore black cleats with the gray Caddix logo clearly visible.
Williams was tremendous in both games. He completed 75.4% of his passes for a combined 613 yards and threw three touchdown passes with no turnovers for a 116.4 passer rating. The victory against the Patriots pushed the Bears to 5-2 leading up to their game next Monday at the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks.
Williams hasn’t had a shoe contract since entering the NFL as the No. 1 overall pick in 2024, which is unusual. Most players of his status have one, but he hasn’t wanted to be boxed in and frequently has worn Nike and New Balance. He wore Nike cleats in his first two seasons.
Hall of Famer Tom Brady works with Caddix and wore their cleats in the Fanatics flag-football event this year. Williams has been friends with Brady since reaching the NFL, and Brady occasionally is on the Fox broadcast team for Bears games.
Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco and 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk also have worn the Caddix cleats, and the company said roughly 40 players are wearing them this season.
Caddix produced its first cleats in 2024 and has made inroads in football, soccer and lacrosse. The brand has jumped on the opportunity for publicity with Williams wearing the cleats, and CEO Jack Rasmussen said in a statement that the company will pay any fines he receives.
The NFL fines players $5,971 for having a foreign substance on their uniform, using noncompliant pads and face masks, using an unapproved visor or wearing a uniform improperly. The $11,941 fine applies to displaying personal messages or unauthorized logos.
Williams has until Friday to appeal the fine.
The NFL also fined Bears wide receiver Jahdae Walker $5,620 for each of his penalties against the Falcons. Walker was flagged for hitting punter Jake Bailey in the third quarter and ejected for head-butting wide receiver Chris Blair in the fourth.