NFL star Patrick Mahomes with a crack in his helmet.NFL QB Patrick Mahomes with a crack in his helmet. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
NFL players will have additional options when it comes to helmets in 2024.

The league is keen on lessening head injuries and continues to develop new helmets in a bid to mitigate the risk and improve player safety following multiple worrying incidents over the years and will be offering 12 new shells to players this year.

According to NFL.com senior national columnist Judy Battista, the NFL and NFLPA have completed their annual testing and found that some of the new models performed better than any of the other ones the league has ever had.

In addition to the few that were already allowed, NFL players will have a dozen more to choose from. Eight of them are specifically made for quarterbacks, offensive linemen, and defensive linemen.

Battista has also noted that six of the models performed so well, players won’t need to wear the “Guardian Caps” the league prescribed for them to wear in practice in 2023.

“Five of the new helmets for 2024 performed better in laboratory tests conducted jointly by the league and the NFL Players Association than any helmet that has ever been worn in the NFL, according to the league and the Players Association,” she wrote.

The annual helmet testing by the NFL and NFLPA is complete. 12 new helmets to choose from including 8 position specific ones for QB, OL and DL. And six performed so well players wearing them will be exempt from wearing Guardian Caps in practice.

QBs will be given the option of two helmets made by different companies which have been designed to reduce the impact of the back of their heads hitting the ground.

“Quarterbacks will have a choice between two helmets — one made by Vicis, one made by Riddell — designed specifically to reduce the impact of blows they suffer when their heads hit the ground, which causes most quarterback concussions,” she added.

NFL Players Aren’t Convinced

Per the report, players aren’t all that excited about position-specific shells, with just nine quarterbacks opting to wear the ones specifically designed for them last season.

The increase in variety might help in this regard as players will have an easier time finding the ones which suit them better.