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When Tom Brady received his new helmet for his 20th season with the Patriots, one thing became clear: he doesn’t like it.
“I’ve been experimenting with a couple different ones, and I don’t really love the one that I’m in, but I don’t really have much of a choice,” Brady said Monday on the Greg Hill Show. “So I’m just trying to do the best I can to work with it.”
The NFL and the NFL Players Association banned six types of helmets last year, but allowed four other models to be worn for one more year, including Brady’s helmet, the Riddell VSR-4. The efforts were to help improve player safety.
Even though Brady knew that the change was coming this season, it’s still challenging for him to adjust to.
“You get used to the same helmet for a long period of time. My last helmet, I wore it the last four Super Bowls, so it was a pretty great helmet for me. I hated to put it on the shelf,” Brady said. “It’s kind of what I’m dealing with.”
NFL policy states that helmets must be certified by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) and that it doesn’t clear equipment older than 10 years. Players are not allowed to participate in games or practices until they use an approved helmet.