The NFL could look very differently in the fall but the biggest change might be with facemasks. The NFL is currently working on developing a helmet featuring a face guard that would provide the same medical grade protection as a surgical mask.
According to the medical director for the union representing NFL players says the masks on the helmets may be modified to include N95 or surgical mask material as a way to protect the transmission of the coronavirus.
That includes the possibility of the entire helmet mask being covered, Thom Mayer told ESPN’s “The Adam Schefter Podcast” Monday. Thom Mayer, who is medical director of the NFL Players Association, said league engineers and sports equipment company Oakley are testing prototypes of a modified face mask that might contain surgical or N95 material.
They’re looking at every issue you can imagine, said Mayer
Oakley provides the league with visors that some players use on their face masks. The company also has developed durable eyeglasses for the military that are designed not to fog up, a technology that may prove useful in this latest project.
It is believed that the new coverings would likely have to cover the entire face mask.
“They’ve got some prototypes,” Mayer told Schefter. “Some of them, when you first look at them, you think, ‘Gosh, no’ because you’re not used to seeing it.”
This article was written citing information and media from FOX Sports, NBC Sports, and the AP. For more college sports, follow us on Twitter @MWSNsports or like our page on Facebook.
