While leading the Chicago Bears to their first playoff win since 2011, Caleb Williams earned the nickname ‘Iceman,’ and he is looking to keep it only for himself. No matter what happened in the first three quarters of a game, Williams stayed calm in the fourth quarter and guided the Bears to comeback wins for most of the 2025 season. Now, just like basketball legend Michael Jordan, Williams is leaning into trademarking his own nickname and logo based on his clutch heroics last season.

According to records from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Caleb Williams filed multiple trademark applications on March 16, 2026. As per the records, Williams plans to use the term ‘Iceman’ across a wide range of products, including sunglasses, bags, trading cards, apparel, and sporting goods. But interestingly, he has already patented his signature ‘Iceman’ celebration, where he rubs his arms and shoulders as if warming up the ice in his veins.

What makes it even cooler is the fact that Williams’ ‘Iceman’ gesture actually means ‘bear’ in ASL or sign language. Coincidence or not, it adds another layer to Williams’ growing identity in the league. Alongside the nickname, Williams is also looking to trademark a silhouette of himself—clearly inspired by Michael Jordan’s branding playbook. 

But while Jordan’s ‘Jumpman’ logo originated from one of his photo shoots, Williams’ logo came from one of his clutch throws from the 2025 NFL playoffs. 

“The second two applications protect a silhouette of Williams’ mid-throw, inspired by a pivotal fourth-and-8 play during a playoff matchup in Green Bay last season. It was a moment that helped cement his reputation for late-game composure,” Williams’ attorney, Josh Gerben, revealed in his recent blog post.

While facing the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round last season, the Bears trailed by 18 points entering the fourth quarter, when Williams engineered three straight touchdown drives to flip the game. But the moment that earned Williams his ‘Iceman’ nickname came with Chicago down 27-16 in the fourth quarter of the game. Facing a fourth-and-8 with just over five minutes left, Williams escaped pressure, rolled left, and made a difficult 27-yard throw to receiver Rome Odunze.

Williams eventually turned that gain into points and led the Bears to a 31-27 comeback win to advance into the next round of the playoffs. Around the same time, an ice sculpture of Williams appeared outside the Merchandise Mart in downtown Chicago, capturing him mid-throw in his Bears’ jersey. And it might’ve been one of those things that made Williams think of trademarking his silhouette. Gerben also made it clear that the recent trademark filings are part of a strategy for Williams to claim his brand and prevent others from benefiting from it. 

“By filing on an intent-to-use basis, Williams secures what’s known as a federal priority date, effectively staking his claim to the trademarks before they are commercially launched. That early filing strategy is critical in a digital marketplace where misuse of athlete names, nicknames, and images is rampant,” Gerben explained in his blog.

But the process for the Bears QB to finally own his brand isn’t quick. After filing the trademark application, the USPTO typically takes six to seven months to review it. If approved, Caleb Williams’ filings will enter a 30-day opposition window before moving forward. From there, Williams must prove he’s actively using the trademarks in commerce. 

Altogether, it can take 14 to 18 months before Williams owns the ‘Iceman’ brand, and that’s why the early filing was necessary. This also suggests that Williams knows intellectual property strategy well.

Caleb Williams is no stranger to making trademark moves

Before filing for the ‘Iceman’ trademark, Caleb Williams had already submitted trademark applications for his name, a bear claw logo, a ‘CW’ logo, and multiple football-throwing silhouettes. Now, Williams has eleven trademark applications in the USPTO records that are either in progress or pending, and it’s clearly part of his bigger plan.

“He’s not waiting for Nike, EA Sports, or some licensing partner to create his brand,” Gerben wrote in his blog post. “He’s creating it himself. And, more importantly, owning it. Filing his own trademarks provides him the ability to negotiate licensing deals around the trademarks. And it prevents someone else from filing for ‘Iceman’ or that iconic silhouette and forcing him into a protracted and expensive legal battle.”

Moreover, Caleb Williams’ strategy reflects a broader shift across the NFL. In earlier years, NFL legends like Walter Payton, Joe Montana, and Steve Young were viewed as products, and their brands were controlled by others. But the modern NFL players like Williams see themselves having a unique identity with their own on-field success, which they can look to capitalize on away from football.

So, rather than only relying on brand endorsement deals, Williams is looking to build his own brand portfolio, which can be licensed for various products while his ‘Iceman’ persona continues to rise.