Training camp helmets

[Oraelo]

So I look at all these training camp pictures and I see a bunch of the guys (big guys in the middle mostly) wearing these black egg crate looking helmet pads. Yes they are ugly as sin and cover up the logo, but they wouldn’t be wearing them if they didn’t reduce the probability of head injuries. Why don’t they use this during the regular season? If head injuries are the hot topic of things that they want to reduce, wouldn’t you do this by all means necessary? It can’t really be as simple as the NFL protecting their branding and don’t want to cover the logos on the helmets can it?
I can kind of understand it with skill players like receivers not wearing these, but the big guys in the middle, who have a violent collision on almost every play should definitely be wearing these all season long. I know a few of them must have asked but it’s not in the game uniform “code”
Just a late night thought.

 

[Retired AFA]

I do like NFL football. Injuries are part of the game. Ever since the Brady rule came into the game, the game has changed. Players make millions and still complain one way or another about the game. They want the refs to let them play and on the other hand complain when a foul is not called. Don't get me wrong, the game is brutal. I was a RB/CB in college I took hits and dished them out. I had concussions. I got my bell rung a few times. Football is football. Let's not turn it into a pansy sport. Find a good strong helmet as not to impair the players in the trenches.

 

[Oraelo]

I do like NFL football. Injuries are part of the game. Ever since the Brady rule came into the game, the game has changed. Players make millions and still complain one way or another about the game. They want the refs to let them play and on the other hand complain when a foul is not called. Don't get me wrong, the game is brutal. I was a RB/CB in college I took hits and dished them out. I had concussions. I got my bell rung a few times. Football is football. Let's not turn it into a pansy sport. Find a good strong helmet as not to impair the players in the trenches.

So you think that using safer equipment to lessen concussions and CTE is making it a pansy sport? I agree some of the rules are taking some of the “football” out of the game but if they can wear a different helmet that reduces the incidence of long term CTE, I don’t see that making it a pansy sport. If that was the case, the game would have become pansy when they stopped wearing leather helmets.

 

[Tinstar]

So you think that using safer equipment to lessen concussions and CTE is making it a pansy sport? I agree some of the rules are taking some of the “football” out of the game but if they can wear a different helmet that reduces the incidence of long term CTE, I don’t see that making it a pansy sport. If that was the case, the game would have become pansy when they stopped wearing leather helmets.

The problem I have with it is that these guys make millions knowing the risk . Some guys play football just for the joy of the game but they still make millions .
It’s a violent game where you can suffer life altering injuries but you measure the risk because the rewards can also be life altering for generations.
The same cannot be said for our hero’s who protect us and that’s not a game. Both are choices .

 

[Innocenti]

So I look at all these training camp pictures and I see a bunch of the guys (big guys in the middle mostly) wearing these black egg crate looking helmet pads. Yes they are ugly as sin and cover up the logo, but they wouldn’t be wearing them if they didn’t reduce the probability of head injuries. Why don’t they use this during the regular season? If head injuries are the hot topic of things that they want to reduce, wouldn’t you do this by all means necessary? It can’t really be as simple as the NFL protecting their branding and don’t want to cover the logos on the helmets can it?
I can kind of understand it with skill players like receivers not wearing these, but the big guys in the middle, who have a violent collision on almost every play should definitely be wearing these all season long. I know a few of them must have asked but it’s not in the game uniform “code”
Just a late night thought.

Some of the same thoughts have occurred to me. I think they're used for the same reason that not all practices are in full pads and walkthroughs are performed. I don't really have a strong opinion about players wearing or not wearing them during the season other than the fact that it looks weird. Such helmets might make their way into the games in the near future and may be in a test phase right now. I don't know why they can't just put extra padding on the inside of the helmet

 

[Retired AFA]

Oraelo, There are two, (2), TWO, parts of my posts. I believe in adding a special helmet in the trenches, but not for all players. if you want to prevent injuries and concussions. Turn the NFL into flag or touch football and lessen the injuries. You want to lessen the long term of CTE. I hate to say it. but you will have to change football from what we know what it is today. Or else you will be playing it on your XBox. . Read Tinstar's Post, he said it right.

 

[Oraelo]

Oraelo, There are two, (2), TWO, parts of my posts. I believe in adding a special helmet in the trenches, but not for all players. if you want to prevent injuries and concussions. Turn the NFL into flag or touch football and lessen the injuries. You want to lessen the long term of CTE. I hate to say it. but you will have to change football from what we know what it is today. Or else you will be playing it on your XBox. . Read Tinstar's Post, he said it right.

AFA, I think that we, (we), WE, (really?) are saying almost the same thing. I stated especially to the guys in the trenches. Do I think that removing concussions from a contact sport completely is even a possibility? Absolutely not. We are both talking of reducing them. If you don’t think that less concussions will lead to less occurrences of CTE I don’t know what to tell you.

 

[SackExchange]

The guardian caps aren't exactly new, but I had not seen them in the NFL before this. Particularly in the trenches, I have absolutely no issue with this. The number of players who played the game at any level who never took a head shot has to be minute. Although I only had it happen to me once or twice, I saw guys who had such bad concussions that they could not remember their name or anything about themselves, both in high school and college. I saw careers of friends end as a result of concussions.

Any effort...ANY effort...to limit or reduce concussions is welcome by me.