NFL Helmets: Safety, Innovation, and Customization Key to Reducing Concussions

National Football League (NFL) players go through a crucial process every preseason to choose their helmets, with club equipment managers playing a significant role in helping them select the best-performing models that balance safety, comfort, fit, and style. This process is critical for widespread adoption of better-performing helmets that provide better protection for players. In a recent episode of "Most Interesting Jobs," NFL Legend Steve Smith Sr. visited the Los Angeles Rams' equipment team to learn about the safer helmet options available to players today, the NFL-NFLPA annual testing process, and how equipment managers work with players to select and customize their helmets.

Key Takeaways:

• The NFL and NFLPA engineers lab test helmets annually to determine which models provide the best protection, with players in top-performing helmets experiencing a substantially lower rate of concussions compared to those wearing lesser-performing helmets.
• Over 70% of players in 2024 chose to wear custom-fit helmets, which were scanned and fitted for, showcasing the growing demand for helmets that prioritize player safety and comfort.
• Guardian Caps have driven a significant reduction in concussions during practices, approximately 50% over the past two preseasons, highlighting their effectiveness in improving helmet safety.
• Ten helmets are exempt from wearing the Guardian Cap during mandated periods, each providing as much or more protection than poorer-performing helmets paired with a Guardian Cap.
• Nearly all top-performing helmets for 2025 have an element of fit customization, emphasizing the importance of individualized helmet selection for optimal safety and performance.

Statistics:

• 70% of players in 2024 chose to wear custom-fit helmets.
• 50% reduction in concussions during practices over the past two preseasons attributed to the use of Guardian Caps.
• Ten helmets exempt from wearing the Guardian Cap during mandated periods.
• Significant increase anticipated in adoption of top-performing helmets with fit customization in 2025.

Sources:

• NFL.com, "Steve Smith Sr. learns helmet selection process from the Rams' equipment team (VIDEO)".
• NFL.com, "Equipment and Innovation".