After laboratory testing of dozens of helmet models, the NFL and the NFL Players Association earlier this year rated them based on how well they protect the head from impacts. Based partly on the those tests, the league banned six models from being worn by players coming into the league this season. Four more will be available only to players who used them in 2017.
As noted by Sports Illustrated and USAToday Sports, the helmet preferred by New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is on the prohibited list.
At a lab on the University of Colorado Denver campus, a tech startup isn’t working to design a better football helmet per se, but rather a safer padding material to be used in a whole range of equipment across sports and industries.