{
  "id": 16978562,
  "title": "Caleb Williams hasn't been fined for Week 7, despite wearing unauthorized shoes",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/28/caleb-williams-hasnt-been-fined-for-week-7-despite-wearing",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-28T23:40:30.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/caleb-williams-hasnt-fined-week-234030253.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In Week 7, Bears quarterback Caleb Williams continued to wear shoes from the Caddix brand, which lacks a licensing agreement with the NFL. Despite the league's fine of $11,941 for the same violation in Week 6, Williams has not yet been penalized for his actions. Williams defended his decision, citing the comfort and health benefits these cleats provide, emphasizing their innovative SmartStuds technology that absorbs tension from hard impacts during play. The NFL has not fined him for Caddix shoes in preseason games or the first five regular-season weeks, as he missed those due to a hamstring injury. While Caddix intends to cover the fine, the NFL typically only accepts payments from the individual fined, creating a loophole that Caddix could exploit through an endorsement deal. This controversy highlights the league's tension between protecting brand deals and prioritizing player health and safety.",
  "summary": "Bears QB vows to keep wearing Caddix cleats.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}