As the NFL continues to grapple with its ever-growing concussion problem, some have proposed a rather drastic solution: If you want to protect the safety of players’ heads, take away their helmets.
But would the country’s most powerful sports entity ever consider such a move? According to Dr. John York, the chairman of the NFL’s health and safety advisory commission, it’s a very real possibility.
“Can I see a time without helmets? Yes,” York said, via BBC Sport. “It’s not around the corner, but I can see it.”
The thought process behind returning to a helmetless game is that while helmets obviously offer head and neck protection, they also make players far more likely to deliver hits to and with the head.