A small footwear company based in Baltimore is experiencing a surge in visibility after Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams began wearing its cleats during the current season. The company, named Caddix, has only four employees and earned just under two million dollars in revenue last year. The sudden spotlight began with a phone call last year from Dr. Tom Gormely, a sports performance coach who represented Williams. Gormely informed Caddix CEO Jack Rasmussen that his client wanted to try the company's product, a conversation Rasmussen described as fun and promising.
Williams started using the cleats early in the season, but the switch led to penalties under league rules. The National Football League fined the quarterback 11,941 dollars in Week 6 against Atlanta and another 23,882 dollars in Week 7 against New England for wearing an unauthorized logo. NFL policy prohibits players from displaying unapproved commercial identification on their footwear, with only Adidas, Nike, and Under Armour currently authorized as primary suppliers. To avoid further fines, Caddix provided Williams with a blank pair of cleats for a Monday night game against the Seattle Seahawks, which the team won 34 to 17. Williams noted that the blank pair helped calm the situation.
The fines have generated significant free advertising for the startup. Peter Stolpe, a professor in the Warsaw Sports Business Center at the University of Oregon, noted that the press coverage is equivalent to tens of millions of dollars in marketing for a small business. He highlighted that it is particularly beneficial for the company that the player of record publicly stated he feels better in the cleats. Caddix does not have a sponsorship deal with Williams, who was the first overall pick in the 2024 draft, but Rasmussen has offered to pay the league fines on the company's behalf.
The cleats feature flexible studs designed to reduce strain on knees and ankles. Williams helped develop his specific model with Gormely and Rasmussen, who traveled to Florida in June to observe the quarterback's movements and finalize the design. Williams described the product as a science type of cleat with smart studs that move with the player to take tension off tendons and joints during hard plants. He reported that the shoes have been comfortable and effective for him.
Caddix is not limited to Williams. According to Rasmussen, more than 80 NFL players are currently using the cleats. The list of users includes Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp, Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey, and Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid. The brand also has a presence in women's sports, with Kayla Sharples of the National Women's Soccer League's Kansas City Current serving as an investor. The cleats are also popular in women's lacrosse.
Other NFL players have shared their positive experiences with the footwear. San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk has worn the cleats for two years and whites out the logo to comply with league rules. He stated that he has not slipped since switching to the brand. Carolina Panthers cornerback Will Lee began using the cleats after seeing teammate Jaycee Horn wear them during the offseason. Lee appreciated the rotational studs, which he said help with cuts and breaks on both grass and turf fields.
The origins of Caddix date back to October 2015, when former Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles tore the ACL in his right knee. Jack Rasmussen, who was 19 at the time, and his father Jeff were watching the game and identified what they believed was a solvable footwear problem. Rasmussen, then a college dropout working as a housekeeper, studied biomechanics and physics to develop the concept. He later returned to school and played college football as a punter for Missouri Western State and Western New Mexico.
Rasmussen admitted he did not play football until he was 23, which gave him a fresh perspective on the equipment. He used his teammates as testers during his college career to refine the product. In 2024, a group of roughly 25 NFL players, including veteran quarterback Joe Flacco, began wearing the cleats. The league approved them for on-field use before the start of last season. Flacco, along with former Baltimore Ravens tight ends Todd Heap and Dennis Pitta, are investors in the company. Pitta introduced the cleats to Dalton Kincaid, who started wearing them during offseason workouts to manage knee injuries.
Caddix has been selling cleats for 19 months and is currently working on raising funds through a new funding round. The company is also considering the development of a recovery or lifestyle shoe in the future. Rasmussen described the current period as rare air and an exciting ride, acknowledging the difficulty in quantifying the exact value of the recent publicity but expressing enthusiasm for the company's growth.
