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19-year NFL vet and Super Bowl MVP offers to pay Caleb Williams’ fine as row over banned logo escalates

Caleb Williams recently found out that his cleats are costly, but the brand have stepped in to save the day.

The Chicago Bears quarterback was fined $11,941 for wearing Caddix cleats during the Week 6 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.

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Caleb Williams 18 of the Chicago Bears runs with the ball during the second quarter of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots at Soldier Field on October 22, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois.
Williams was handed a fine from the NFL for not covering the Caddix's logo on his cleats

It was Williams' first game back on the field after suffering a hamstring injury against the Minnesota Vikings.

The 24-year-old threw for 305 yards and a touchdown as the Bears beat the Falcons, 31-23.

The league labeled it as an uniform violation as Caddix are not an official partner of the NFL.

Interestingly, however, Williams was not fined for the entire pre-season, Week 1, Week 2, while wearing the shoes.

Williams wore the same pair again last Thursday against the New England Patriots in Week 7, and now he's been hit with a second fine for that infraction.

The NFL has fined Williams $23,882 this time around, double the amount imposed the previous week.

"Caddix responded to Caleb Williams' $11K NFL fine, saying the Bears QB bought the cleats himself," Complex Sneakers posted on X.

"He has no endorsement deal with the brand. The brand will also cover the fine."

Caddix founder Jack Rasmussen explained why Williams picked his cleats over the traditional Nike, Adidas or Under Armour.

"He bought our cleats because they're the only ones built with SmartStuds," Rasmussen said.

"[They] release under injurious load, reducing the force responsible for non-contact knee and ankle injuries."

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Caleb Williams 18 of the Chicago Bears prepares to throw during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots at Soldier Field on October 22, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois.
Williams has appealed the fine, and Caddix are prepared to step in and pay if it's denied

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Caleb Williams 18 of the Chicago Bears celebrates a touchdown against the New England Patriots during the third quarter of the game at Soldier Field on October 22, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois.
Williams has thrown for 613 yards and three touchdowns since his return from injury

However, Williams is appealing his fine and he plans to continue to keep wearing them, despite the fact that he could keep getting punished for doing so.

“Williams has appealed the fine, and his argument will be, we’re told, that he believes the shoes are safer than the shoe options that are officially licensed by the NFL,” Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wrote.

Joe Flacco offers to pay Caleb Williams' fine

Super Bowl XLVII champion and MVP Joe Flacco has now announced his intention to cover Williams' fines for wearing Caddix cleats.

In a public statement, the 19-year NFL veteran and Bengals QB said, "If Caleb gets fined again for wearing Caddix, I'll pay the fine myself. I've worn these cleats for years, and I know firsthand the difference they make."

Flacco added, "This isn't about making a statement or breaking the rules just to break them. It's about wearing gear that works for you and helps keep you safe on the field."

However, in order to cover Williams' fine, Flacco would have to actually pay Williams himself after the fact.

Caleb Williams doubles down on plan to keep wearing Caddix cleats

Last week, Williams doubled down on his decision to keep wearing the shoes.

“As we’ve known for the past couple of years now, I’m huge into my body,” Williams said.

"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 one, it could be 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.

“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.”

The NFL only has partnerships with Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour, so anyone wearing another brand has to hide the logo.

NBC Chicago's James Neveau noted that the fine came from Williams not covering the Caddix logo.