Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams just got hit with an $11,941 NFL fine for wearing unauthorized Caddix cleats in Week 6, but get this: he’s not switching them out. Nope, not even a little bit. He told reporters he’s sticking with his Caddix kicks, and honestly, after hearing why, you might just get it. And here’s the kicker for us Emerald City faithful: our very own Cooper Kupp is using these same “unapproved” cleats.
This Ain’t Just About Logos, It’s About Player Safety, Seriously
Williams is dead serious about staying healthy. He’s on record saying, “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.” And he credits these Caddix cleats for that focus. He says they’ve been “great,” “super comfy,” and they “worked.” These aren’t just any old cleats, folks. They’re “science type of cleat,” featuring something called “SmartStuds.” These SmartStuds move when a player plants hard on turf or grass, which takes tension off tendons and joints. Williams believes that over a long career or even a long season, reducing that consistent tension, even by a small percentage, drastically increases a player’s chance of staying healthy.
Caddix founder Jack Rasmussen backed this up, saying Williams bought their cleats because they’re the “only ones built with SmartStuds to release under injurious load, reducing the force responsible for non-contact knee and ankle injuries.” It’s a big deal. The brand, founded by the father-son duo Jeff and Jack Rasmussen, researched decades of non-contact ACL tears and found the culprit: the cleat-to-surface interaction. When a cleat locks the foot, rotational force shoots up the leg and into the knee. Caddix aims to stop that. And in a smart move, Caddix already announced they’ll cover Williams’ fine. Plus, Williams has appealed the fine, and Caddix even gets a hearing with the NFL on November 10 about the whole decision. It’s a real battle brewing between player safety and league rules.
So What’s The Deal With The Cleats And Our Guy Kupp?
The NFL’s uniform policy is pretty straightforward: only Nike, Under Armour, and Adidas logos can show during games because of existing licensing deals. Players can wear other brands, but the logo has to be covered. Williams used to wear Nike cleats for his first two NFL seasons, but he’s been trying to switch to Caddix for about a year now. This isn’t a new thing for him.
And Williams isn’t alone in rocking these. Caddix had its “breakout” year in 2025, with more than 30 NFL players making the switch. The source even names some big ones. Want to know who else is on that list? Our own Seattle Seahawks wide receiver, Cooper Kupp! Yeah, you read that right. Our guy, one of our key offensive weapons, is lacing up the same cleats that Caleb Williams is willing to pay fines for. Other players like Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid and Pittsburgh Steelers safety Jalen Ramsey are also in the Caddix club. Williams actually missed three games earlier this season, from Weeks 3-5, due to a hamstring injury. He returned on October 18 against the Falcons and wore Caddix cleats in that game and their Week 7 win. Knowing his recent injury history, his commitment to these “smart cleats” makes even more sense.
So, while the NFL tries to enforce its brand deals, players are clearly prioritizing their health with these Caddix cleats. We’ll be watching closely for that November 10 hearing. Will player safety win out, or will the league double down on its branding policy? Either way, it’s a conversation worth having, especially when it involves keeping our players, like Kupp, on the field and healthy.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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