The NFL fined the Chicago Bears quarterback for wearing “unauthorized” cleats in games during Week 6 and Week 7

NEED TO KNOW

• Caleb Williams covered the Caddix logo on his cleats during Chicago’s 34-17 Monday Night Football win over Seattle
• The quarterback said he wanted to minimize distractions after drawing increased attention for his footwear
• Williams believes the cleats’ SmartStuds technology could help reduce strain and keep players healthier

Caleb Williams is abiding by the rules.

The Chicago Bears quarterback, 24, covered up the “unauthorized” Caddix logo on his cleats for his team’s 34-17 win over the Seattle Seahawks during Monday Night Football, a decision that comes after he was hit with back-to-back fines from the NFL for wearing the shoes in games.

“Just to calm things down, man,” he said in a Monday, Nov. 2, post-game press conference of blacking out the logos on his cleats. “This was a big week, and [I’m] not here to, um, create any
BS towards a team. I want to keep that to a minimum for my side. Obviously, I get a lot of media. And so, just try to minimize that as much as possible.”

Williams’ decision to black out the logo came one week after the quarterback publicly expressed his commitment to the science-backed brand, citing its potential injury-reduction benefits.

On Wednesday, Oct. 28, the Bears signal-caller said that he plans to continue wearing unauthorized cleats during games despite being hit with an approximate $12,000 fine each time, telling media that injury prevention is at the forefront of his decision.

“I’m huge into trying to stay on the field,” he said at the mid-week presser following the Bears’ 30-24 win over the New England Patriots. “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.”

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Only Nike, Adidas and Under Armour have partnerships with the NFL. After Williams’ Week 6 game against the Atlanta Falcons, he received an $11,941 fine because he was “in violation of the NFL Uniform and Equipment Rules” by wearing the Caddix shoes.

Specifically, the notice he received informing him of the violation cited the “unauthorized logo” that was displayed on his footwear. After sticking with the Caddix cleats in the Week 7 game against the Patriots, the NFL gave Williams a $23,882 fine, reported NBC Sports.

“They are a science-type of cleat,” he said of the shoe on Oct. 28, ESPN reported. “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 take that percentage off consistently over a period of time, you know, you get to have the chance, a higher chance of being healthy,” he said, adding, “So that’s what I focus on.”

“I try to be healthy. They’re smart cleats,” stressed the Chicago quarterback. “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.”

Williams suffered a hamstring injury in the second game of the season this year. In an October press conference, he said he feels his “character’s been attacked for a while” as he addressed criticism over his injury.

“It was a hamstring tear and a pretty serious one,” he said in a press conference on Thursday, Oct. 15. The quarterback explained that he’s “always gonna show emotion, especially when I can’t be out there with the guys when something like that happens.”

“I care about the team, the organization, winning, being out there, my teammates, all of that. I care,” Williams continued. “That’s the biggest thing. This is what I love to do. This puts a smile on my face. It’s everything to me.”

The Bears’ next game is against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, Nov. 8, at Soldier Field.

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