Here Are All The Awesome Throwback Helmets That The NFL Outlawed
It's an understandable safety concern - once a player has a properly fitting helmet, you don't want him switching it up and risking injury - and it comes at the recommendation of the league's Our Head, Neck, and Spine Committee.
As a side effect, throwback uniforms that require a different helmet have effectively been outlawed. While teams can still wear throwbacks, they can only change the logos and facemasks on their regular helmets, not bring in entirely new ones with different color schemes.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had the cancel their plans to wear their awesome "Bucco Bruce" helmets on Sept. 29 because of the new rule, saying in a statement, "While we regret that our players will not be able to don the 'Bucco Bruce' helmet and traditional orange, red and white uniforms, there simply was no acceptable way to meet the requirements of the new policy while staying true to the spirit of our throwback theme. We will continue to explore options with the league office for bringing back this fan favorite in future seasons."
Unless NFL teams find a workaround, some of the league's most beloved throwback helmets are now doomed.
New England Patriots:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
Philadelphia Eagles:
Dallas Cowboys:
Atlanta Falcons:
Many throwback uniforms won't be affected because they only involve switching out the helmet decal.
The Bears, for example, wore "throwback" helmets in Week Two by simply taking the logo off and switching out the facemask on their regular helmets:
