A player-safety change will affect New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, along with 31 other NFL players, in 2019.
The helmets they wore last season had fallen short in laboratory testing and are now prohibited, according to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. The league also added 11 new helmets that were approved for 2019
The NFL and NFLPA have been subjecting helmets to testing since 2015, and last year six types were banned immediately while four others — including Brady’s — were allowed for one more year, according to Seifert. Of the 11 helmet types that were tested this spring, nine were new to the market, according to the NFLPA’s engineering consultant, Dr. Kristy Arbogast.
“One of the most exciting things is seeing how our years of testing protocol is really driving innovation,” Arbogast said. “You can see when you see the poster that many of the new helmets that are being introduced to the market are top performers. And so I think through the perspective of the players, it’s phenomenal that we are driving innovation and we are driving design to release products that perform better on the field.”
Brady had been persistent on keeping his old helmet, but the good news for him is that the helmet he tried out temporarily in 2018 will make the cut.
