NFL, players union approve 8 new position-specific helmets

Eight new position-specific helmets for quarterbacks and linemen have been approved by the NFL and the NFL Players Association.

Two of the new models manufactured by Riddell are designed for quarterbacks while six helmets are made for offensive and defensive linemen.

Quarterbacks now have three choices of helmets specifically designed for their position to help reduce impact that can cause concussions, including the

Vicis Zero2 Matrix QB introduced last year. The new models are Riddell’s SpeedFlex Precision QB and the Axiom 3D QB.

The Vicis Zero2-R Trench for offensive and defensive linemen was the first position-specific helmet introduced in 2022.

Overall, a record 12 new helmet models were approved by the NFL and the players’ union for the 2024 season. Five of the new helmets tested better than any helmet ever worn in the league. The NFL, in collaboration with the NFLPA, annually conducts laboratory testing performed by jointly appointed biomechanical experts to evaluate which helmets best reduce head impact severity.

“The pace of innovation is really about as high as we’ve ever seen,” NFL executive Jeff Miller told The Associated Press.

Miller, the league’s executive vice president overseeing player health and safety, said providing players with the best possible protection is a major priority and more positions should have specific helmets in the coming years.

The new Riddell Axiom 3D helmet earned the highest rating from the NFL and

NFLPA’s lab testing.

Riddell designed three models, one for all positions that was ranked No. 1, one for QBs and one for linemen.

Axiom is a comprehensive protection system from Riddell that launched in 2022. Axiom’s Tru-Fit System provides a personalized fit for each player using Riddell’s scanning app, which captures a 3D image of an athlete’s head for an individualized build of “energy-managing interior padding with unique thickness, shapes, and contours that provide comfort and protection benefits.”