The NFL is rolling out new helmets to protect players from violent hits and concussions. The helmets have evolved over the years with newest models customized based on the player’s position. NBC News’ Sam Brock shows us how they work.
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#nfl #football #helmet
How much money is going into the research and production of these helmets?
Millions
Very good question. All the while, there is nothing talked about the neck, which plays a role in stabilizing the head against impact.
When tampons coming out for these players ?
Funny I was just watching the movie “Concussion” last night
Garcia Shirley Thomas Laura Martinez Ronald
Am I wrong for thinking if we just go with foam helmets that players wouldn’t lead with their helmet thus reducing the total overall impact? The helmet is covered in hard plastic/resin. I don’t understand it.
It’s a good thing to see the NFL taking this seriously now. Didn’t realize helmets were getting positional specific
They don’t take it seriously they take the lawsuit seriously tho 💀
They let Josh Allen go back in the game after being knocked unconscious. They don’t care.
@@purpleyeti7440investigation was completed, no rules were broken
The NFL is a lot dangerous then rugby league and Aussie rules football
@@CheeseEnthusiast617 you mean the investigation by the people hired by the NFL ? that investigation ? yeah, I didnt think they would find anything either……
How often does rugby has concussions?
They aren’t allowed to hit the way NFL players are allowed to hit. Anything hit wise above the Waist is not allowed in Rugby
There was a study done about a decade ago, NFL players hit about 4x harder than professional rugby players mainly due to having pads on, giving them a false sense of recklessness.
Football hits are typically more explosive than rugby hits b/c of pace of play.
@@superiortoall22I can see that. Yet, with all the stoppage they play a fraction of what happens in a Rugby League or Rugby Union game. Harder hits. Way less often.
@@usarugbyleagueunionfan two different aerobic zones. Football is fast twitch muscle eccentric, meaning more explosive, going at 100% with each drive, no matter how much rest you get you’ll be tired. Kind of like a boxer, if you compare how hard he hits in the beginning of the match versus the end, that forces declines rapidly even though he rests every round. Running at collegiate, even Olympic speeds every play wears down the body for skilled positions. For linemen, battling against dudes that can squat and bench 500lbs+ weighing 300lbs+, and are 6’4” and above, requires special conditioning.
I got mad respect for rugby, I think it’s just as hard as football but it’s just slow twitch with a few moments of explosiveness in it, doesn’t mean it’s any easier, just different! Players from either sport couldn’t go in cold turkey and be conditioned enough to play the other sport.
Hey anything they can do to improve player safety — because they will not protect themselves. We saw that last week with a clearly concussed Josh Allen.
sport shouldve been outlawed long time ago, since nfl obviously wouldnt do what’s truly necessary to protect heads: ban almost all hits in american football.
What???
Man it’s so sad seeing all these men either raised by weaker men, or by single mothers. These next few generations are really going to be pathetic.
Your opinion is dumb and you should be embarrassed.
Worst take ever on this subject
This is just a Band-Aid. The sport needs to end. Just put a soccer field people will go.
Americans prefer football over soccer.
We prefer football
Have you looked into concussions suffered by soccer players? The impact from improper headers & collisions/landings w/o a helmet have caused CTE as well. Go down that rabbit hole, then come back.
No one cares about soccer. Football is the number 1 sport in America by a huge margin and you can’t do anything about it.
Weak wear no helmets
Just play flag then
God will punish America for worshipping football more than they worship Him.
Not likely with 24 out of 32 starting NFL QBs being Evangelical Christians.
there is no god.
@@first-i4y there is a God. It’s just common sense.
@@raymondsmith6870 nothing wrong with playing football. The problem is when America begins worshipping the game.
@@thegreatestpuzzleever prove it i’ll wait.
test dummy = trumpers.
Can’t tell the difference between the 2 that’s for sure. Nothing upstairs in the head area but air
All the while nothing is talked about in stabilizing the neck against impact. The posture and stability of the neck and spine also plays a role against impact.
Cowboy collar football was real football.
Mandatory neck padding, along with pads for knees, thighs, hips, and buttocks, was a consideration, but I assumed it was voted down.
The posture and stability (two things) also play* a role …
Whoa whoa….let’s not get crazy now guy, NFL has money to make!
Exactly – On the last one Tua didn’t even hit his head
They should be using memory foam in these helmets. It works.
Helmets give a false sense of security. Helmets only protect you from your head getting busted open. They don’t keep your brain from getting rattled and bouncing around inside your skull because you just got planted buy a 230 pound guy running at full speed.
I feel like they should try something else in combination with the styrofoam,…like gel or air….Like the shocks on a vehicle….
What they should do is offer less protection like shoulder pads that enable players just to go full tilt at one another. Rugby is just as violent a sport but you don’t see as many head or other serious injuries because the players have no protection and thus have to hold back otherwise they will injure themselves.
Exactly.
Rugby is very controlled around tackling techniques in order to avoid entering another player’s head space. you have to make a conscious effort to tackle below the sternum, keep your head away from theirs and wrap your arms around their body. Spear tackles and no wrap hits like you have in NFL are banned in rugby.
@@TheWesterosiNinja Rugby is constant movement, it simply does not have the same impact as American football, which is way more dynamic.
You must have forgot about the whole bounty scandal that jump started this campaign
Believe me rugby players don’t hold back at all, they just have very strict rules about how to tackle.
❤️
The helmet pads may help absorb some of the impact [of collisions] and spare players from immediate physical injury. However, they do not eliminate the _jolts_ [violent movements of the head] that cause brain injury.
By design, tbey mitigate. If you had any practical knowledge of the topic you’d understand.
That’s exactly what the helmets do, so don’t get what you mean 🤷🏻♂️
I feel that can solved with neck strengthening
@@Yosser70 No it isn’t. Regardless of how good a helmet is, their primary defense is against fracturing or breaking the skull and bones in the face, as well as protecting eyes. Concussions and TBI are injuries to the brain itself. While helmets do dampen impacts, regardless of how much padding and protection a helmet has, during a collision, the head comes to a stop and the brain keeps moving, eventually impacting the inside of the skull, which is what causes the damage. Until you stop that brain impacting something solid, concussions and TBI’s will occur. The only other option is a helmet with so much padding that the head decelerates slow enough that the brain isn’t jolted. But such a helmet would be impractical and difficult to wear, needing a meter or more of various padding to slowly decelerate the head. A wood peckers brain for example, is encapsulated by a soft sponge like material, so when its head strikes a tree, the brain impacts a soft sponge, eliminating risk of damage. Helmets are very near the limit of how good they will ever be, and until we can develop a way to stop the brain impacting the skull, we will never eliminate concussions or TBI’s in sports.
@@pgnhrybc7321 Reduced, but definitely not solved. F1 drivers have some of the strongest neck muscles of any humans due to the need to resist g-forces when racing, and wear top of the line helmets, designed for protection from impacts at greater speed than a football player. Yet they can still receive concussions. Because no matter how strong your neck muscles are, they won’t stop your skull from moving when your head stops its movement in a split second. So yes, neck strength is as important as helmets when it comes to reducing head injuries, but nothing we have right now can solve it completely.
Only about 50yrs too late 😂
Even my kids middle school has better helmets than the nfl 😂
Will they be providing Gender Neutral cry closets and Kitty litter boxes for those who identify as cats on the field as well ??? America has collapsed ….
NFL: Now that I gave y’all new helmets, y’all go play 30 games.
and then the players will agree to it
And play 4 games a week.
do any of the test dummies have functional brains or is it only the bones that they’re testing
Game is definitely less exciting today.
Tua need two helmets in one because one or two more concussions he may not be able to recovery without a long lasting side effect
Does anyone know what the indoor sports centre that this video was filmed at?
Why dont anyone use Airbags??
Why won’t the NFL install electronic concussion monitoring in players’ helmets? The technology exists yet the NFL says no.
“Sir we got the data back”
“Ok great give it to me straight. How often are the sensors showing dangerous impacts?”
“Well we are getting dangerous readings when they play”
“We figured that, but when specifically? How often? ”
“No we mean, they get dangerous readings when they play. Every play. Every single snap appears to be very bad for the brain.”
“This technology clearly isn’t working, never speak of this again”
In rugby we do not tackle with our heads. you go into contact protecting your head. There is a padded helmet that players can wear, but it just that, padded. The professional players in Europe have launched class action lawsuits against their respective professional unions. This is about players not being properly looked after/protected from head injuries. Today players are HUGE. Many are developing dementia and other brain related diseases, that the players attribute to head contact from playing rugby. The NFL has a duty to protect its players and that should be their top priority. However, based on what has been happening in rugby, the NFL is making sure they do not have to dish out hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation. Also, if you are a retired football player and still want to play a contact sport, rugby is the BEST team sport on planet earth. Your athletic career does not have to end when you leave University. I am 54 and I still play full contact rugby. Join a rugby club today.
You hate your kids if you let them play football.
The best thing about this tech. Is getting this down to the youth levels.
Youths aren’t usually above 6’ and 200 pounds unless you’re referring to some high school youths
not in this day and age buster
“We have a major problem and we have no clue how to fix it.” -roger Goodell of the nfl.
They still look the same
Flag football 🏈 🎉
The whole point of nfl has always been inflicting damage or else it would be flag football im done with nfl to soft
Who wants to test out the helmet?😂😂😂. Il pass.
They should just play flag football and let women play, too. /s
Want to make the game safer? Remove all helmets! Rugby style.
Oh, so the NFL is researching helmet safety years after knowing concussions were causing head injuries and mental illness years after players played the game?
This is the same lie that plastic companies use to convince people that plastics can be recycled. You just can’t stop concussions with the brain being so easily moved in the skull
All for better technology within the helmets, but still headed for 2 hand touch with the “roughing the passer, hip drop tackle, and new kick off rule”……not what it used to be
Please have these same people looking at motorcycle helmets?
NTHSA National Highway Traffic Safety Administration randomly tests motorcycle helmets. They are supposed to meet FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards), if they don’t NHTSA can recall them.
@@Kitty8791 I know this. Thank you. I bet the people looking at the NFL helmets could make them safer and maybe even learn from the NTHSA’s people and vice versa.
Bring back larger pads, slows down players just enough.
Im curious as to if anyone is looking into neck support in addition to improved helmets for concussions? I remember getting “stingers” playing school ball and wearing a neck roll to help
Rugby are laughing at you.
Seriously, please bring back the Riddell TK helmets and Riddell VSR4 helmets and get rid of those garbage helmets that look god awful.
I’m going to sue all of you into bankruptcy and destitution just because they are using my franchise logo. What about the shoulder pads? ✌️😡♟️Bankruptcy Court East District Downtown Brooklyn NYC owned by me. No JerryJones No Jay-Z No CliveDavis No Diddy 🤣 f**k you, I’m funny IBM.m had the answer already Langley 🫡 MADD but Make A Wish.
Having players leading with their heads as product testing for helmets, not supposed to be at game speed. ✌️🤬♟️All they need is a 35mph crash test, you dummies, in football equipment.
How about removing helmet and padding completely? So they don’t have excuse to weaponize it. Play it like rugby
Just bring back the horse collar
How about the guys actually wear the helmets the correct way as well. How many times do you see them losely on?
And what about banning dangerous tackles ?
Now what, now we gotta play flag football?
We don’t need to soften the NFL anymore than it already has been. Grow a pair mate, accidents happen in sports all the time that’s why these guys get paid the way they do. There’s no need to go banning things it just hurts the game
@@MoSaladLFC well it’s not your brain that is getting battered every NFL match your watching. Rugby is having strict rules concerning tackling and I would not say it is not a contact sport. If you would rather grow ballz than a brain it is your problem. But have look at old players, which are fathers and are depressed, mentally sick and will die early in their life either from suicide or CTE related health issues and reconsider your argument
@@TheGamingEnjoyerFan There is an inbetween I think ?
The nfl is so soft. Hard hits rarely happen and when they do someone gets ejected or flag thrown on the play
When my uncle played in the 90’s he got injured because the NFL helmets were unsafe
The guardian cap is the equivalent of bubble wrapping your car bruh
lowkey makes sense
What is a “car bruh”?
hey wait, but QBs like Tua would need protection in the front too;))
The NFL does not make or design any of these helmets. How are they taking credit for this?
I havent seen a violent hit in years. Officiating has gotten so soft, they might as well be playing flag football
Won’t matter if Middle / High / College don’t get them.
My old Riddell helmet is why I’m a public school teacher and coach and not an astronaut/engineer/lawyer 🤣🤣
Sorry but helmets will never stop concussions. I’m not gonna look like the dude from Space Balls just because some nerd told me these are safer. I’ll keep wearing my speed flex so I can look good while I play good.
The NFL is full of ish. A while ago they profiled a company that developed a helmet that decreased head injury significantly. The reason that the helmet has not seen the light of day is that it has a soft outer shell instead of a hard one to cause that big crack sound on a big hit. NFL deemed that the fans wanted to hear big cracks of helmet during game play so they shelved those helmets.
It should be allowed like mma
It does not matter how good the helmets are if the players don’t wear them correctly. There are many players that wear their helmets to loose. Some players value comfort over safety. It is like driving a car with the seatbelt on but with the shoulder strap behind your back.
W example
No helmet is going save Tua’s career. Dude is made out of glass.
Glass? I didn’t think he was that strong.
More like paper. And completely agree no helmet will save Tua.
He also tries to truck people head-first lol
Proverbs 28:27
“He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.”
King James Version (KJV)
This is a big step forward. The human brain is surrounded by a liquid and it acts like a buffer between the brain and skull. A hard hit will surely cause the brain to hit the skull no matter how good these helmets are. I honestly don’t think they’ll get there since our heads aren’t designed to take hits like this.
Doesn’t really help, when players 99% of the time don’t even wear them properly.
No helmet will ever drop the brain from getting damaged from a hit !
How about better pads? The ones back in the day were way better and thicker. I know the new ones are supposed to be better but they arent
here boy, wear this. much safer. trust me.
Yeah but do black lives still matter !? What happened to that ? Is police brutality gone . 😅?
Im all for safer equipment but NFL is soft. 25 years ago, hard hits were encouraged. Now they’re an immediate ejection.
Could’ve done this years ago. NFL is garbage
Does Rugby have a concussion problem? Serious question. Maybe helmets give a false sense of safety. Maybe no helmets would improve things?
Short answer: yes, rugby does. The same is true for hockey. These contact sports have serious issues, not only with concussions, but with other degenerative brain diseases (like CTE). Playing a physical contact sport with no helmet is far more dangerous than playing with helmets and protective gear.
It does. Concussions in soccer are also more common than you may think.
Yes Rugby League and Rugby Union both have this issue and now there are protocols in place for replacement if you’re concussed and it’s mandated to sit out games if you’re not recovered. A few of our former players that have passed have been diagnosed with CTE post mortem and a few retired but living players reckon they have it.
Our codes work with the US uni’s that are doing research into CTE and we share data.
NFL primarily cares about a future product (profit). Youth football participation is decreasing rapidly. Anyone with a brain (no pun intended) has always known running yourself into another person isn’t healthy. Yet, until the last 15 years, they just propagated a “tough man…rub some dirt on it” culture to mask the volume of injuries. Make no mistake, the NFL has not suddenly developed a heart and adopted an altruistic code of ethics toward its players. The league is scrambling to ensure it has a quality product to sell in 20-30 years. All these ads and PR appearances are planned by the NFL and targeted at Moms and Dads of elementary-aged kids…AKA “The future athletes for them to exploit.” That said, we, as individuals, are responsible for our choices and actions. If you play football (at any level) and get hurt, that is called reaping what you sowed. That is simply the KNOWN risk you take by playing…and you alone are responsible. Don’t try to blame the NFL and claim that you “Didn’t know it was harmful to my brain to run 23 mph into another human who is also running 23 mph!”
It is crazy if you think about it. What if the common injuries per football game were also present at your Cooperate office job. HaHa. Weekly staff meetings sure would be entertaining! “Good Monday morning, staff! I have an update from last week. Johnny from accounting suffered a concussion while signing for a delivery. His MRI is scheduled for this afternoon, and he will be out for a few weeks minimum. Additionally, Vickie from HR is out with a ruptured Achilles she suffered while chasing the drink cart. Hoping to get her back soon, but we are also considering trading her. In other news, Greg from logistics hopes to return to work on Wednesday, depending on the swelling he experienced after his emergency knee surgery yesterday. Never imagined he would fall under that forklift! “
The guardian cap truly protects more
Just make it touch football and get it over with 😒😒😒
Ironically this has been the biggest riddle in the NFL’s history and the company that makes the Helmets is Named Riddle 😬😬
Maybe Volvo needs to make helmets😂
It has been a Chinese car company since 2010. I don’t think it is appropriate for American iconic sport.
Helmets make players hit harder because they provide a false sense of security, which often leads to more injuries. Just like in rugby, let them play without helmets so they know it’s their own skulls and brains on the line. They won’t hit with 1000% force.
helmets were introduced when people started dying on the field. rugby is a different sport which laws discourage blindside hits etc.
How can the NFL claim safety when CTE is caused due to repeated SUB-concussive hits. The NFL seems to think that the only serious head injuries are concussions, when we now know that a player doesn’t have to get 1 concussion for their entire career to end up with a degenerative brain disease. Once researchers produce a test for CTE that can diagnose it for current/former players (i.e. alive), then we will get a better idea of how safe the helmets are.
The NFL has all the money in the world for research and all their scientists can come up with his head protection, as if the destabilization of the NECK isn’t where brain injuries actually come from. 🤷🏿♂️🤦🏿♂️
QUESTION: Why do boxers prioritize having a wide neck??
NFL, stop playing dumb…
if you don’t wanna get hit…..play chess then
game is getting safer … lol maybe you should let them hit at practice, these players of today simply can’t tackle, huge reason why there are injuries, if these helmets are so great, then take off the warning sticker, take out of the contracts that players aren’t aloud to sue the league if they get head injuries, just sayin
Good. Protect these guys as much as possible
Nothing they can do from stopping the brain from hitting the skull no matter how well they build helmets
It’s about taking more time for that change in momentum to happen. A longer amount of time means a lower peak force and hence a lower acceleration of the brain.
In the end helmets only do so much. The concussions will continue to happen to every player over time unfortunately
3D printed padding??? Naw….
They just need some rebound tech within the pads as well along with the helmet that doesn’t just absorb but also cushions and works against the impact as a reaction to the action idk maybe they come out with some nano tech in undershirts they goes up to the neck and it’s padding that can react to hits and in certain positions help the impact of collision
Now let’s tackle the horrible refs and their questionable decisions.
next year all of the nfl players will look like the michelin man with all that extra padding
What a joke. The NFL does NOT care about CTE, or all the neuro-degenerative disease that players have been experiencing for years. These helmets may make a tiny improvement, but all the sub-concussive impacts still add up to the same effect. If you care about players, support professional flag football.
And the AFL still plays without helmets and padding.
Eliminate tackling, remove all padded gear and go two hand touch