Rate of innovation has multiplied nine times since the start of NFL-NFLPA helmet testing program NEW YORK, March 24, 2022– The NFL and NFL Players Association (NFLPA) released today the results of their 2022 helmet laboratory testing. Jointly appointed biomechanical engineers ranked 47 helmet models, including six new models. Five of the six new models tested ranked in the ‘top-performing’ group, continuing an unprecedented rate of improvement in helmet performance that is nine times what it had been before the start of the helmet testing program in 2015. As helmet models that previously ranked very well have been overtaken by new, better-performing models, the NFL and NFLPA have further raised the bar for what is considered a ‘top-performing’ model. Six helmets ranked last year as ‘top-performing’ are now categorized in the ‘not recommended’ group. For the first time, ‘not recommended’ helmets are not available to players who did not wear those models in the 2021 season. The helmet rankings poster identifies models in the ‘top-performing’ group in green. Helmets that performed poorly in laboratory tests are listed in the yellow ‘not recommended’ or red ‘prohibited’ groups. New players and players who change helmets for the 2022 season must select from the ‘top-performing’ helmets. New players and players who did not wear a helmet from the ‘not recommended’ group during the 2021 season are not permitted to select a helmet from the ‘not recommended’ group this season. The change to prohibit players from moving into helmets in the ‘not recommended’ group builds on the NFL-NFLPA’s joint decision in 2018 to prohibit, for the first time, players from using helmets that performed poorly in laboratory testing. The ‘prohibited’ list, which began as 10 helmets in 2018, has grown since, with one additional helmet added this year for a total of 16 prohibited helmets. These prohibited models performed poorly in laboratory tests or were produced by companies no longer manufacturing football helmets. Several additional permitted but lesser-worn models have been removed from the 2022 rankings poster and are included on a ‘legacy’ list of helmets. View the poster here: 2022 NFL-NFLPA Helmet Laboratory Testing Performance Results “NFL players are the winners here. Helmets keep getting better and they will continue to get better in the years ahead,” said Jeff Miller, NFL Executive Vice President overseeing Player Health and Safety. “Our joint engineers have used NFL data to refine this testing program and ensure performance in the lab correlates directly to the equipment’s safety performance where it matters – on the field of play. By sharing this information with helmet manufacturers, we are excited to continue to foster continued innovation that allows players to have more and better choices year after year.” The NFL-NFLPA helmet laboratory tests and ranking are part of an ongoing effort to both drive innovation in helmet technology and help players make informed choices about their protective equipment. Results of these tests are displayed on a poster that is shared with club medical, training, coaching and equipment staffs so they may discuss with players their best helmet choice options. Through conversations between these club staff and players, the aim is to encourage players to adopt the best-performing model that suits their needs, considering comfort, fit and style, among other factors. Between the 2020 and 2021 seasons, 27 percent of returning players opted to switch to a better-performing helmet; nearly 100% of players wore top-performing helmets for each of the last three years. Adoption of better-performing helmets has contributed to a sustained trend for each of the last four seasons (2018-2021) of a 25 percent reduction in concussions among NFL players compared to the 2015-2017 seasons. Even with the addition of an extra game during the 2021 regular season, concussions were at their lowest compared to any other regular season since 2015. This is the eighth year the league and the NFLPA have collaborated to assess the performance of all helmets worn by NFL players. All helmets tested in 2022 met the current National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) certification standards to protect players against severe traumatic skull and brain injuries. The NFL-NFLPA helmet testing results were based on testing intended to represent NFL impacts and thus, the conclusions on helmet performance cannot be applied to collegiate, high school, or youth football. The tests were conducted by an independent helmet testing laboratory. For the eighth year, the study formulation, experimental design, and data analysis were performed by engineering consultants appointed by the NFL and NFLPA. An independent biostatistician was retained to assist in the analysis of the data.
| NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH STATUSPRO TO DEVELOP VIRTUAL REALITY NFL-LICENSED GAME | Game to be an annual release and available on Meta Quest and Sony PlayStation VR Devices New York, NY and Miami, FL – March 23, 2022 – The National Football League (NFL) and StatusPRO, Inc., a sports technology and gaming company that uses real-time player data to create authentic extended reality experiences, announced today a partnership to bring an NFL-licensed virtual reality (VR) simulation gaming title to fans globally. Available on Meta Quest and PlayStation® VR, this title will bring fans closer to the gridiron than ever before, allowing them to play like a professional football player through a first-person 3D immersive experience. "Virtual reality gaming is rapidly expanding and our partnership with StatusPRO allows us to explore a new immersive version of NFL gaming with support of the two largest VR platforms within this emerging space," said Joe Ruggiero, SVP, Consumer Products at the NFL. "We are seeing a growing number of fans engaging with VR and we're excited to launch the first-ever VR gaming title that complements our existing offerings in the market today."
"Today marks an important milestone for StatusPRO and the VR industry. By partnering with the NFL, we will offer a new form of engagement between athletes and fans unlike anything in the marketplace. NFL football fans and gamers alike will be able to connect with the world of sports through authentic, immersive gaming products that democratize the experience of the professional athlete," said Troy Jones, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of StatusPRO. The NFL and StatusPRO will leverage StatusPRO's athlete-led technology and work alongside their experienced team of developers to change sports gaming as fans get a first-person experience similar to their favorite football players. "We are grateful to the NFL and our community of investors and stakeholders who share our vision to create an entirely new standard in sports and gaming," said Andrew "Hawk" Hawkins, StatusPRO co-founder and President. "We keep the athlete first in everything we do, and as former football players it means even more to be able to recreate what it actually feels like to step out on the field. Through our proprietary technology at StatusPRO, we can deliver an immersive experience that helps NFL fans transform into pro athletes." Release dates and additional information about the NFL's and StatusPRO's new gaming title will be announced at a later date. To learn more, click here. ABOUT STATUSPRO StatusPRO, Inc. is a sports technology company that combines data with augmented, mixed, and virtual reality to provide a suite of training and gaming products that revolutionize the way coaches, players, and fans experience their favorite sport. Headquartered in Miami, FL, StatusPRO is minority-owned and led where almost half of its employees in the United States are former athletes. StatusPRO's ties to the NFL and the NFLPA began in its club locker rooms when co-founders and former elite football players Troy Jones and Andrew (Hawk) Hawkins had a vision to develop Pre Game Prep, a tool that would bring the brand's proprietary technology to NFL teams with the goal of improving the athlete training experience, which is now being utilized by NFL teams. The company's investors include notables such as Naomi Osaka, LeBron James, Maverick Carter, Paul Wachter, Drake, Jimmy Iovine, along with investment groups Greycroft, TitleTown Tech, Verizon Ventures, Haslam Sports Group, 49ers Enterprises and SC Holdings. | NFL Network's 'Path to the Draft' and 'NFL Mock Draft Live' Return Leading Up to 2022 NFL Draft | 'Path to the Draft' – Premieres Monday, April 4 at 6:00 PM ET on NFL Network Airs Monday-Friday at 6:00 PM ET Through Friday, May 6 'NFL Mock Draft Live' – Premieres TOMORROW (Tuesday) at 8:00 PM ET on NFL Network Airs Tuesdays at 8:00 PM ET on NFL Network & Streams Tuesdays at 5:00 PM ET on NFL.com, the NFL App & YouTube NFL Network's journey to the 2022 NFL Draft continues with the return of shows Path to the Draft and NFL Mock Draft Live.
Starting Monday, April 4 at 6:00 PM ET on NFL Network, Path to the Draft provides in-depth analysis of all the top prospects, the latest news reports and more. Led by NFL Network analysts Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks), Bucky Brooks (@BuckyBrooks) and Charles Davis, and hosts Rhett Lewis (@RhettNFL) and Patrick Claybon (@PatrickClaybon), Path to the Draft also delves into all 32 NFL teams' needs, breaks down which players can help each team, and discusses where in the draft teams can select the players to help them next season. Also featured throughout Path to the Draft are analysts Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) and Scott Pioli (@ScottPioli51), and NFL Network analytics expert Cynthia Frelund (@cfrelund).
Path to the Draft airs Monday-Friday at 6:00 PM ET on NFL Network leading up to the 2022 NFL Draft on April 28-30 and concludes with a full week of post-draft recap shows through Friday, May 6.
Additionally, NFL Mock Draft Live premieres TOMORROW (Tuesday) at 8:00 PM ET on NFL Network, with host Colleen Wolfe (@ColleenWolfe) and analysts Jeremiah and Brooks. Each edition of NFL Mock Draft Live releases and debates a new Mock Draft from NFL Network's team of analysts and experts, as well as unveils draft sleepers, offers NFL player comparisons and provides the best Fantasy Football team fits. NFL Mock Draft Live airs Tuesday at 8:00 PM ET on NFL Network, and streams live Tuesday at 5:00 PM ET on NFL.com, the NFL app and YouTube leading up to the 2022 NFL Draft.
NFL.com/draft serves as NFL.com's home for the 2022 NFL Draft, providing comprehensive coverage including the latest Mock Drafts, positional rankings and news stories surrounding the top prospects. For additional coverage, follow @NFLDraft on Twitter.
Available on NFL.com/draft right now:
Each episode of Path to the Draft and NFL Mock Draft Live – as well as all NFL Network programming – is available across devices (smartphone, PC, tablet and connected TVs) through the NFL app and NFL Network app, or NFL.com/watch for subscribers of participating TV providers.
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Seven days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, fans turn to NFL Network to receive information and insight straight from the field, team headquarters, league offices and everywhere the NFL is making news. Launched in 2003, NFL Network gives fans unprecedented year-round inside access to all NFL events, including the Super Bowl, Playoffs, regular season, preseason, Pro Bowl, Pro Football Hall of Fame induction weekend, NFL Draft, NFL Scouting Combine, Senior Bowl, league meetings, minicamps and training camps.
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