Sometimes football can seem like a game of fashion as much as a game of skill. When it comes to all the protective gear, helmet, and uniforms players have to wear to play the game, it can be hard to stick out from the rest. That’s where visors come in. Can NFL players wear visors? Not at the moment, but that could be changing soon.
Growing up, I always thought visors were cool and wished the NFL would let their players wear them. I remember longingly wishing to watch players with a slick visor attached to their helmet, running up and down the field. Visors look cool and they make it clear the player means business. That being said, visors also can provide additional protection in the case that a helmet isn’t enough.
Despite the popularity of visors among fans, NFL players have long been discouraged from wearing them on the field. However, this could change soon – at least on a trial basis. Last summer the NFL invited select college football players to a developmental camp, where they were able to wear visors to test if they provide additional protection or not.
It seemed that the impact tests for visors were encouraging and the league was optimistic that more players might begin wearing them. While the results of these tests still remain confidential, the NFL approved the use of an eyeglasses-style visor for quarterbacks on a one-year trial basis in the spring of 2021.
That being said, even if the NFL doesn’t yet have the results of the visor tests, allowing quarterbacks to start wearing them is definitely a step in the right direction. This trial run of visors could serve as a way to introduce other style visors and offer greater protection and style-choices to all NFL players.
At the end of the day, I’m all for giving players options. Visors can help players stand out in the crowd and help protect them while they play the game. I know if I had the opportunity to wear a visor, I surely would. I’m excited to see how the trial run of visors goes and if more NFL players will be able to wear them in the coming years.
One aspect of the visor trials that I’m interested in is the kind of visor athletes are allowed to wear. It’s no secret that some visors are made with a greater level of protection than others. There are differences in between visors in terms of weight and flexibility, which affect its effectiveness.
If the NFL wants to make sure their players are adequately protected, they will need to make sure the visors approved for use meet certain standards of safety. If not, it’ll simply become an obstacle course of having to sift through which visors are the real deal and which ones are simply eye candy.
An obvious concern when considering allowing NFL players to wear visors is the eye-injury potential. Because visors are able to move, they can become projectiles if they take a big enough hit. That’s why it’s important the NFL takes every precaution to ensure the safety of its players.
Another performance enhancing factor to consider is the effect visors can have on the quarterback’s vision. With a visor in place, QBs can have an easier time focusing on their downfield target without having to worry as much about bad weather and glare disrupting their sight.
I’m certainly interested to see how the one-year trial run of visors for quarterbacks plays out. Targets and defenders might be moreuty to keep their eyes protected, which, given the circumstances of the game, is more important than ever.
It’s worth noting that some seem to think visors won’t have an effect on fights on the field. I don’t think that’s necessarily true, and I can see how visors may actually deter players from engaging in physical altercations. If players know they would be wearing a visor during a fight, it might deter them from starting or partaking in the fight altogether.
At the end of the day, football is a tough game. Players put their bodies and health on the line every time they take the field, and the NFL should make protecting players their top priority. I think allowing visors could be an effective way to do just that.