NFL, NFLPA approve concussion-reducing helmet for QBs

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

NFL, NFLPA approve new concussion-reducing helmet for QBs

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated Apr 13, 2023 3:53 PM ET

After its highest number of concussions since 2017 according to leaguewide injury data, the NFL and NFL Players Association approved a first-of-its-kind helmet for quarterbacks designed to reduce concussions.

The Zero2 Matrix QB helmet, designed by Vicis, reduces the impact absorbed by the helmet when it makes contact with the ground, which NFL injury data says accounts for roughly half of the concussions sustained by quarterbacks.

“We’ve now analyzed with our engineers and with the Players Association more than 1,000 concussions on field, we have a pretty good database of how these injuries occur,” NFL executive Jeff Miller told the Associated Press. “This helmet performs better in laboratory testing than any helmets we have ever seen for those sorts of impacts.”

The Zero2 Matrix QB helmet #Dolphins #TTQB1 #FinsUp @Tua https://t.co/KnJAKcGrPi
— TCBHammer (@HammerTcb) April 13, 2023

Per the NFL, diagnosed concussions rose by 18 percent during the 2022 season — no incidents more notable than Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's multiple scary scenes.

In a memo sent to team executives Thursday, the NFL stated the new Zero2 Matrix helmet reduced concussion-triggering impact by 7 percent in QB-specific testing compared to the helmets worn by QBs last season.

Vicis VP Jason Neubauer stated that the Zero2 Matrix helmet showed a 20 percent improvement in “impact mitigation for helmet-to-ground hits compared with the company’s standard helmet that is designed to mitigate helmet-to-helmet impacts.”

The NFL stated that wide receivers and defensive backs could be next in line for position-specific, impact-reducing helmets with lab testing data available for them possibly in 2024.

Michael Gallagher

Michael Gallagher is a longtime sports journalist based out of Nashville with a decade of experience covering college football, mixed martial arts and prep sports plus the NFL and NHL — specifically the Tennessee Titans and Nashville Predators. He’s covered several notable sporting events including an AFC Championship game, a Stanley Cup Final, an NHL All-Star Game and an NHL Stadium Series. Some of his past bylines can be found at the Nashville Scene, SB Nation, The Hockey News and Fox Sports Knoxville

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