The NFL on Friday unveiled seven new high-performance helmet models with the aim of reducing the number of concussions among players for the 2025 season, which kicks off next September.
“It’s another great step for player safety that the lab testing of the new helmets translates into lower injury rates. The helmets are working as intended: there has been a significant decrease in concussion rates among players wearing them,” said Jeff Miller, NFL executive vice president.
The 2024 season saw the most significant drop in concussions recorded since 2021, and 17 percent fewer of these types of injuries than in the 2023 campaign.
Last season also set a record for new helmet models, with 12, with special features for each position, to which the seven announced by the league on Friday were added.
Despite these efforts, according to NFL data, approximately 30 percent of players still do not wear high-performance helmets, exposing them to a greater risk of injury, something Jeff Miller was confident will change. “Our goal is to encourage all players to wear higher-performing helmets by the 2025 season,” the league’s executive vice president said.
Dawn Aponte, the NFL’s chief football administrative officer, stressed the importance of each team’s equipment managers in guiding players in choosing the right helmet for them.“Team equipment staff play a critical role in helping players understand current offerings and work with them to select an option that enhances protection and offers a perfect fit. We work closely with teams to support their efforts and have players adopt higher performing helmets,” Aponte explained.
The NFL, in collaboration with the NFLPA (Players Association), conducts annual laboratory tests by biomechanics experts to evaluate which helmets best reduce the severity of head impact.
The highest-performing helmets were also evaluated using position-specific testing methodologies for quarterbacks, offensive linemen and defensive linemen.
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