A new helmet will be available for players to wear during the 2023 season. The helmet, made by VICIS, was especially created in order to better protect quarterbacks, specifically when their heads hit the ground.
The helmets were created following an uptick in league-wide concussions in 2022. The league saw a 22% increase in diagnosed concussions last year (h/t NFL Media), with quarterbacks accounting for a significant portion of that increase.
Quarterback-specific helmet to be available during 2023 NFL season, per @judybattistahttps://t.co/Gl3EXLIHxC pic.twitter.com/A0c4ZSBUx0
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) April 13, 2023
Helmet-to-ground impacts account for roughly half of quarterback in-game concussions. The new helmet, according to Dr. Ann Bailey Good (a mechanical engineer for Biocore), did a 7% better job of reducing impact severity when compared to the helmet most worn by quarterbacks in 2022.
The NFL has tried to limit concussions in recent seasons. Along with its concussion protocol, the league made all offensive and defensive linemen, linebackers and tight ends wear a Guardian Cap during summer practices. During that span, NFL data showed a drop of 50% in concussions among the certain position groups who wore the caps compared to the previous three-year average.
