Aaron Rodgers Helmet Shuffle Heads NFL Gear Safety Debate
Aaron Rodgers is still adjusting to his new environment in Pittsburgh. The list of challenges includes his workwear, as the quarterback tries to find a suitable helmet.
The Steelers signal-caller can no longer sport the helmet he wore last season, the Schutt Air XP Pro Q11 LTD, because it was banned this offseason (along with six other models) for failing to meet the NFL and NFLPA's new safety standards.
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So, Rodgers has been practicing in the Schutt Air XP Pro VTD II, which he doesn't like. He told reporters earlier this week that it looks like a damn spaceship out there."
The four-time NFL MVP isn't new to helmet gripes, as he was mandated to change when the NFL banned his preferred option in 2019. He's the latest star QB forced to find a replacement as the league evaluates helmets with greater scrutiny in its annual tests.
I get it-he wants to wear what he's always worn and what he's been successful wearing," Guardian Sports co-founder and CEO Erin Hanson said in a phone interview. To him, it's about that, but I respect what the NFL is doing, which is putting incredibly smart people on the task of testing these helmets and vetting new innovations."
Hanson, whose family-owned company produces Guardian Caps, soft-shelled pads worn over helmets, believes it's imperative for players to understand that some of their favorite headgear isn't the safest on the market even if it's comfortable.
Tradition and superstition are one thing, but the [NFL] is very invested in their safety and has to make changes as innovations come," she said. I get both sides of it."
Former NFL stars like quarterback Tom Brady and wide receiver Antonio Brown were also frustrated about being forced out of their preferred helmet option. Brown, then a wideout on the Raiders, even threatened to retire over the issue.
Rodgers, the oldest player in Steelers franchise history at 41, is part of a fading generation of NFL players who have played in helmets that today are considered unsafe.
Rodgers' helmet shuffle is part of the NFL's drive to evolve its gear, an endeavor that recent NFL rookie classes hardly bat an eye at. The league says its efforts are underpinned by performance testing. This is coupled with helmet manufacturers better explaining the benefits of their products to league officials and equipment managers who more often are embracing related data.
The educational part has grown a great deal," former Riddell Sports CEO J.C. Wingo said in an interview. But you still have veteran players say, This is what I [want] to wear.' ... You have so many young gunslingers now, you don't hear any of that."
Rodgers, who has been testing different helmets since joining the Steelers in June, told reporters he's been wearing Schutt for 20 years. His relationship with the company extends off the field, as Rodgers was previously an investor in rival helmet company Vicis, a startup later acquired by Certor Sports, the parent company of Schutt.
They sure don't want him going over to another branded helmet," said Wingo, who once served as the executive vice president of product development at Schutt. He was our poster boy, and you don't want to let him go. It trickles down to the colleges, high schools and youth players. So [potentially] losing a superstar like that is a big blow."
The improved helmet safety guidelines extend beyond the pro ranks. Researchers at Virginia Tech recently made headlines for their lab developing a STAR system that evaluates helmets, with five stars being the highest standard. Manufacturers are taking notice, while the league works with biomechanical experts and others to reduce head impact severity.
Though frustrated, Rodgers says it shouldn't be too difficult to adapt. He still has time to decide what helmet model he wants to roll with before the Steelers' season-opening game against his former New York Jets on Sept. 7.
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