Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams pushes back on a ridiculous NFL fine with a message the league needs to hear
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was fined $11,941 by the NFL for wearing unapproved cleats in Week 6 and he finally got the chance to send a message to the league.
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is no stranger to being his own person and doing what he believes his best for himself. At times, his actions and beliefs aren’t everyone’s cup of tea and lately the NFL itself has gone up against Williams.
After the Week 6 game against the Atlanta Falcons, Williams was fined $11,941 for wearing unapproved cleats. Williams was wearing Caddix cleats with the logo visible, however that’s not an authorized logo or brand that has marketing affiliations with the NFL.
The good news, Caddix CEO Jack Rasmussen says he is willing to cover any fines Williams is faced with by the league for wearing the cleats. A second fine, though, would double the amount to $23,882.
“Obviously Caleb believes in the product and sees value in wearing Caddix cleats. I’m happy to cover his fines if he’s going to keep prioritizing his health,” Rasmussen said.
Caleb Williams makes his stance clear on his Caddix cleats and the NFL needs to take this more serious
Speaking with reporters after Wednesday’s practice, Williams was asked the cleats and why he’s switched to wearing the unauthorized brand.
“I’m big into – as we’ve known over the past couple of years – I’m huge into my body. I’m huge into staying on the field and I’m huge into staying healthy. It’s a rough game. The cleats, they’ve been great. They’ve been super comfy and they’ve worked,” Williams explained. “They are a science-type of cleat, it’s something that focuses on when you plant and the hard plant, on turf or grass. They call them Smart Studs and they move when you move, they take tension off of your tendons and your joints.”
According to the Caddix website, the Smart Studs as Williams described is designed to reduce rotational force on an athlete’s knees and ankles. There’s plenty of studies that have been done by the company that show this technology works and it’s safer for players. And Williams isn’t the only NFL player wearing Caddix cleats.
“Over the course of a long career, or over the course of a long career, when you can take some percentage – it can be one or it can be 50 or 12 or whatever – when you take that percentage off consistently over a period of time, you get to have a higher chance of being healthy,” Williams added. “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. They are for the focus of making sure players stay on the field and that’s what I am always focused on.”
The league, however, cares more about the almighty dollar and most importantly appeasing their precious sponsors. Fining Williams for wearing cleats that helps prevent injuries and protects player safety clearly shows how the league views this matter. Yet, that’s not going to stop Williams.
“If that can give me a small percentage up, and it works, then that’s what I’m going to do,” Williams said. “I think it does (help). I think my joints and my ankles and my knees and my feet haven’t bothered me as much from the other cleats I’ve worn… They’ve worked for me and I feel that I feel the difference. That’s my opinion and someone else can have another.”
The league certainly has their opinion that rivals Williams’ opinion and it’ll be interesting to see if the NFL continues to fine Williams for doing what he believes is best for his body. As one of the faces of the league, this will be an interesting battle to watch unfold.
