Tag: Helmets

NFL introducing new position-specific helmets in 2024

The NFL has greenlit a dozen new helmet choices for players, including 8 models specifically for quarterbacks and linemen:

The NFL has unveiled a dozen new helmets for players to choose from in 2024, 8 of which are specifically for quarterbacks and linemen on both sides of the ball. Helmets for quarterbacks are meant to limit the impact to the back of the head when falling backwards. Offensive and defensive linemen collide every snap, so their helmets are meant to protect the front of the head. New Orleans Saints players have been quick to adopt these new equipment options in the past, so we may see more of them this season.

Quarterbacks and linemen are the only positions with helmets catered to them, with hopes wide receivers and defensive backs join this group in 2025. Linebackers and running backs being left out feels on par with how the NFL views the positions. They aren’t viewed as valuable financially. Despite being two of the most violent positions, they aren’t next up for specially designed helmets.

This isn’t the first rollout of position specific helmets, rather a rollout of new models. Last year, only nine quarterbacks and 20 linemen took advantage of these choices. Six of the new helmets have been deemed safe enough to not need the Guardian Cap worn by players in practice. There’s a hope the chance to ditch the Guardian Cap will make more players wear the new helmet. We’ll see whether any Saints players make the switch when practices pick up this summer.

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Ranking the college football independents helmets from worst to first

The list everyone has been asking for.

College football has again been turned on its head the last few weeks.  Oregon and Washington are headed to the Big Ten as the Pac-12 appears to be in its final days.

One thing that has remained the same this offseason is the list of independent college football programs. BYU officially joins the Big 12 this fall so they’re off the list, but the same four that began the summer as independents remain that way for now.

So of these four teams the debates are hard and heavy:

Who has the best helmet?

Alright, perhaps we’re the only ones asking that but regardless, here are the helmet rankings of the currently independent college football programs.

The NFL’s new QB helmets designed to limit head injuries, explained

You might see some bigger-looking helmets on NFL QBs this year.

Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. Have you seen quarterbacks wearing bigger helmets that look kind of weird during training camp? We’re here to help.

Last year, it was all about what are called Guardian Caps worn by NFL players during training camps to prevent head injuries during practices.

In 2023? You’re going to see some quarterbacks wearing bigger-looking helmets that might make you do a double-take — why is that helmet so big?

We have answers for you as NFL training camps are now mostly in full swing:

Falcons announce which helmets they’ll wear for next loss to Saints

The Atlanta Falcons announced that they’ll be wearing red helmets with throwback logos for their next loss to the Saints, having lost 8 of their last 10 games with New Orleans:

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The Atlanta Falcons created a stir on Thursday, announcing on social media that they’ll be wearing throwback red helmets for home games with the Green Bay Packers (on Sept. 17) and Washington Commanders (on Oct. 15) as well as their inevitable loss to the New Orleans Saints (on Nov. 26).

These helmets feature the iconic F-shaped dirty bird logo outlined in white, worn from 1990 to 2002 — a stretch in which the Falcons went 92-115-1 (a winning percentage of .445) with humiliating playoff losses in Super Bowl XXXIII and a 20-6 divisional-round dismantling in 1998, the demise of their famed 14-2 squad.

The Saints went 97-111 in the same stretch (a winning percentage of .466) and only really suffered the indignity of hiring Mike Ditka to run their franchise into the ground, though we’ll throw the Falcons a bone and acknowledge their 27-20 win over the Saints in New Orleans during the 1991 wild card round. There, we acknowledged it. Now let’s move on.

What about more recent history? The Saints have won 8 of their last 10 games with the Falcons, dating back to 2018, including the last three in a row. They haven’t lost in Atlanta since 2017. Hopefully they pack some unique uniforms of their home for a high-profile rivalry game. The all-time series history is tied up at 54-54, not including that playoff game (congrats, we mentioned it twice), so this is an opportunity for the Saints to put some debates to bed.

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Falcons to wear throwback red helmet vs. Packers in Week 2

The Falcons will be wearing their throwback red helmet when they host the Packers in Week 2.

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A note for the Green Bay Packers fans interested in the aesthetics: The Atlanta Falcons will be wearing their red throwback helmets (and, presumably, their black throwback uniforms) when they host Matt LaFleur’s Packers on Sept. 17 in Week 2 of the 2023 season.

It’s one of the NFL’s best looks and one the Falcons should consider adopting full-time. The Packers will get to see it up close and personal at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta early in the season.

Here’s a sneak peak of the helmet and uniform from the Falcons:

Last season, the Falcons wore the red helmet during an upset win over the San Francisco 49ers and a December loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Both games were at home in Atlanta.

The Falcons will wear the red helmets three times in 2023: Sept. 17 vs. the Packers, Oct. 15 vs. the Commanders and Nov. 26 vs. the Saints.

The Packers have not announced when they will wear their throwback uniforms in 2023.

Check out this concept art for a ‘City Edition’ Saints uniform set

Check out this concept art for a ‘City Edition’ New Orleans Saints uniform set, created by @DubyaGFX:

Major league basketball and baseball teams have rolled out alternate uniforms to better connect with their home communities, so when will the NFL join them? The New Orleans Saints have already introduced their wildly popular “Color Rush” jersey set and debuted controversial alternate helmets, but this concept art for “City Edition” uniforms from Dubya Design’s Jonah Ward is a great step in the right direction.

Pairing black jerseys with matching pants and a clean gold helmet, Ward took influence from some of New Orleans’ best-known iconography to design the new kit.

Ward writes, “Paying homage to French architecture with the sleeves, a subtle nod to (Mardi Gras) in the sleeve pattern, trolley fonts for the numbers, ‘The Big Easy’ in a Vintage French-esque font, the 3 fleurs in the collar mimic the city flag.”

It’s a great look. The detailing along the sleeves recalls the ornate wrought-iron railing you’ll see on balconies throughout the French Quarter, and most critically the gold is actually, well, gold — not the mismatched khaki tones you’ll see in some Saints uniforms. Ward’s choice of font is a close match to the iconic streetcar signage found in the city.

There’s also a great use for the fan-favorite Louisiana state patch the Saints have used before, which Ward placed on the helmet: “I took the Saints New Orleans outline logo from their past, replaced their fleur with the City Flag Fleur, and inverted the state to black. The stripe is a (Mardi Gras) pattern.”

What do you think? As the NFL continues to evaluate its options and make every game more memorable by introducing alternate helmets, jerseys, and international venues, we could see something very close to this concept emerge someday. Would you wear this jersey or put this helmet up on a shelf?

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College football’s best helmet: Notre Dame not among 8 best?

Notre Dame needs your votes as the Irish are trailing Florida State!

When you go through the best helmets in college football there is no doubt that Notre Dame’s is one of the first mentioned in most discussions.  Is that because it’s a great helmet though?  Or is it because it’s iconic?

We’ve been holding the College Football Helmet bracket on the College Wire sites the last couple of weeks and have reached the Sweet 16.  That’s where Notre Dame is right now but they’re at serious risk of falling to Florida State.

As I post this early Friday evening, the Florida State lid is leading Notre Dame’s by nearly 2%.  If you think Notre Dame has a better bonnet than Florida State then you need to go vote for the Irish (and since I’m from Chicago I’ll encourage you to hit reload after voting and then go and vote again).

All you have to do is simply click this link and vote for who you think has the better helmet in the eight matchups.  The voting will conclude at 8 a.m. ET on Monday, December 19th so if you’d like the Irish to advance then you know what to do.

For what it’s worth, this is a ridiculous draw in the Sweet 16 for Notre Dame.  When I look at both of these helmets they’d both be in my top five overall.  That said, the shiny gold with nothing else would get the nod.

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NFL fans’ opinions are split on the Saints black helmets, Color Rush uniform combo

NFL fans’ opinions are split on the Saints’ black helmets, Color Rush uniform combo

Yeah, this is where we’re at: the New Orleans Saints’ season has floundered so wildly that we’ve reached a point where the discourse is more heated concerning helmets and jerseys (not to mention the footwear) than the product on the field. And the decision to pair alternate black helmets with all-white “Color Rush” uniforms during Monday night’s game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers proved divisive.

Some fans dig the mismatched look, with each element boosting the other. Others decried it as “ugly,” “horrible,” and advising the team that “they should throw them in the trash.” It’s drawn a wide array of reactions. See for yourself:

Saints to wear their alternate black helmets in Monday night game vs. Buccaneers

The Saints will wear their alternate black helmets in Monday night’s road game with the Buccaneers. Check out these photos from their debut:

Hey, this is cool: the New Orleans Saints announced that they will be wearing their alternate black helmets for Monday night’s game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It’s the second time this season they’ll be going with the black lids.

Hopefully they won’t wear their white-and-gold “Color Rush” jerseys with them again. It wasn’t a look in Week 4’s game with the Minnesota Vikings, with the dark helmets and light uniforms clashing in a bad way. See for yourself in these photos from the game:

Protect your skull with these high-quality bike helmets

Don’t lose your head — protect it with a helmet.

Biking is an eco-friendly and healthy way to get around — especially if you protect your precious brain and skull with a well-fitting bike helmet. If you fall off your bike, you’ll want a good helmet between your head and the asphalt. Statistics show that a helmet can make the difference between a minor accident and a catastrophe.

Remember that a helmet is not forever — you need to refresh your helmet wardrobe periodically. Incidents can impact your helmet, and the damage might not be obvious. Worn straps, cracks in the shell, and missing pads make your helmet less effective. Here are some durable and stylish candidates for your new favorite helmet.