Bears QB Caleb Williams Tapes Over Cleat Logo After $35,823 in Fines

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams surrendered his cleat standoff with the NFL after accumulating $35,823 in fines over two weeks. During Monday's 34-17 victory over the Seattle Seahawks, Williams took the field with the Caddix logo on his cleats covered for the first time this season.

The league imposes strict uniform rules, allowing only Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour logos on the field. While players can wear other brands, the logos must be hidden. Williams had worn his Caddix cleats with the logo visible for the first five weeks of the season. The league fined him $11,941 in Week 6 for the violation. When he repeated the infraction in Week 7, the penalty doubled to $23,882.

Williams initially resisted the fines. In the days before the Seattle game, he told ESPN he would not cover the logo. The league holds the power to bench players for repeated uniform violations, a risk Williams accepted until Monday. By warmups, tape concealed the Caddix branding.

After the game, Williams explained the shift in his approach. He wanted to reduce media attention and keep the focus on football. "Just to calm things down," he said. "It was a big week and not here to create any B.S. towards the team. I want to keep that to a minimum from my side. Obviously I get a lot of media and so just trying to minimize that as much as possible."

Bears head coach Ben Johnson expressed confidence in his quarterback's decision during the weekend. "He's all about the team and I know he's not going to hurt the team," Johnson said on Saturday. Williams has long favored Caddix for its comfort and patented SmartStuds technology, which he describes as a science-based design for staying healthy on the field.

The dispute may cost Williams little in the end. Former quarterback Joe Flacco, who wore Caddix cleats in 2024 and invested in the company, offered to pay the fines. Caddix made a similar offer, according to ESPN. The brand is now worn by dozens of NFL players, though Williams will keep the logo taped over for the remainder of the season.