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CEO behind Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers' F7 Pro helmet responds to veteran frustration

CEO behind Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers' F7 Pro helmet responds to veteran frustration

Yahoo4 days ago

Old habits die hard — and this couldn't be more true than for Aaron Rodgers, who had his longtime helmet model banned by the NFL this offseason.
Rodgers wasn't thrilled about the switch to the newer, safer, and more innovative F7 Pro — and let reporters know about it at media availability.
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I recently had the opportunity to interview Certor Sports CEO Jeremy Erspamer about the F7 Pro model — and here's what he had to say in regard to veteran players, like Rodgers, giving up their old helmets:
'I feel for players like Aaron Rodgers,' Erspamer said. 'He's worn that same helmet model basically his entire career. As he said, he's never been hurt in it. I'm sure it feels like an old friend when he puts it on his head. I completely understand, from a player's perspective, that potentially causing frustration. I also understand the desire of the NFL — and for us, as helmet manufacturers — trying to develop new technology. Technology is evolving probably quicker than most people think. And the ability to protect athletes better comes along with that.'
Rodgers will have plenty of time this offseason to adjust to the state-of-the-art F7 Pro — but his feedback remains valuable to Erspamer and Certor Sports as they refine both existing and in-development models.
For up-to-date Steelers coverage, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers' helmet comments draws response from CEO

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The board decision that sent the MLB, NFL unions into controversy
The board decision that sent the MLB, NFL unions into controversy

Yahoo

time19 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

The board decision that sent the MLB, NFL unions into controversy

Last June, eight members of the board of directors for a licensing group called OneTeam Partners, which is co-owned by the players unions for five major sports leagues, signed a resolution that would have included the member unions in a plan to receive 'profits units.' Those units, like traditional equity, could be turned into cash if the company did well. It was a move that raised alarms within at least one of the unions. Advertisement By late 2024, an official at the National Football League Players Association had repeatedly raised concerns that implementing the plan could mean that labor officials serving on OneTeam's board of directors — including the head of the NFL players union, Lloyd Howell Jr., and the leader of the Major League Baseball players union, Tony Clark — were attempting to make a change that could lead to their own financial gain, potentially at the expense of union members. The resolution, which was obtained by The Athletic, called for any eventual payouts — made through what is known as a senior employee incentive plan (SEIP) — to go to the unions the board members hail from. The resolution also directly acknowledged the possibility that the unions could then grant that money to their board members. 'The explicit goal throughout the process was to financially enrich the individuals who serve on the OTP Board as labor organization representatives,' the NFLPA official wrote to lawyers in a communication criticizing the plan, which was reviewed by The Athletic. '… the idea was to pay the money into the unions, then the individuals.' In a statement to The Athletic, OneTeam said that though the plan was considered, it was ultimately abandoned. Advertisement 'In early 2024, OneTeam initiated an exploratory review to determine whether the company could lawfully offer incentive-based compensation to current and prospective Board members,' OneTeam Partners said. 'This exploratory effort was part of a broader initiative to assess strategies for attracting high-caliber, independent talent. 'Following the legal advice of a labor law expert, it was determined that the best practice, if implemented, was to make grants to the respective players associations. In so doing, any future payments would be governed by each union's player-approved bylaws, policy, and governance frameworks. It added: 'To be unequivocally clear: no OneTeam board member, nor any union employee, was directly or indirectly granted equity in OneTeam, holds equity in OneTeam or is a participant in its SEIP and any claim to the contrary is simply misinformed and false.' Federal authorities are conducting an investigation related to OneTeam Partners and union officials. The full scope of the probe, which is being run out of the Eastern District of New York, is unclear. The Eastern District of New York declined to comment. Advertisement Five major sports unions hold stakes in OneTeam, the two largest belonging to the NFLPA and the Major League Baseball Players Association, which together own two-thirds of the company, according to people briefed on the business structure who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. The NFLPA has 44 percent, the MLBPA 22 percent. The unions representing players in Major League Soccer, the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team and the Women's National Basketball Association own much smaller shares in OneTeam: 3.3 percent for MLS, .3 percent for the USWNTPA, and .2 percent for the WNBA, according to one of the people briefed on the structure. Early this month, the FBI started calling MLB and NFL players or their representatives. Prosecutor David Berman is heading the federal investigation, said people briefed on its process who were not authorized to speak publicly. With a federal investigation underway, the NFLPA has retained outside counsel separate from the outside lawyers retained by its executive director, Howell. Howell's lawyer did not reply to requests for comment. 'We're guided by our responsibility to our members in everything we do and we will continue to fully cooperate with the investigation,' the NFLPA said in a statement to The Athletic. Advertisement The MLBPA declined to comment Friday. That union too has retained outside counsel separate from its leader, Clark. His attorney did not return requests for comment. The NFLPA official who voiced concern about the incentive plan wrote that they were concerned about the potential for various conflicts of interest. The official argued internally that the change to the plan could dilute the players' existing stakes, which they held via their unions. The official also questioned whether the players were informed of how their financial interests might be affected. The NFLPA official's email with lawyers shows talk of changing OneTeam's SEIP dated to 2023, when a new CEO took over. In March 2024, OneTeam asked outside counsel whether there would be any issues granting union officials on its board participation in a SEIP, according to the same email. In response, the official wrote, the law firm flagged concerns regarding the National Labor Relations Act were any units to be granted directly to union board members. Plans like SEIP are common in the business world. Companies use them to reward and lure top leaders, and the programs often grant traditional shares in a company. Private companies in particular will often grant something that operates similarly to shares but is not traditional equity, according to Chris Crawford, managing director for the executive compensation practice at the firm Gallagher. Advertisement 'It's not a publicly traded, readily tradable environment,' Crawford said. 'It gets into these third-party transactions that get a little bit messy. The most common is by a generic term called 'phantom stock.'' Hence OneTeam's use of 'profits units.' But ultimately, OneTeam is not a common business because it is largely owned by unions. Union officials have legal obligations to their members and their members' interests, and most unions don't have for-profit arms with the overlay of those governance concerns. 'The labor organizations' representatives on the OTP Board are there as FIDUCIARIES representing their union members' direct ownership interests in the Company — their legal duties are not to the Company generally, but rather their union members' ownership in the company,' the NFLPA official wrote in the email to lawyers. Advertisement The union officials have their positions on OneTeam's board because of their union roles, positions for which they are already compensated. Howell was paid $3.6 million by the NFLPA for the 12 months from March 2024 through February 2025, according to the union's annual disclosure filed with the Department of Labor. Clark was paid $3.5 million for the 2024 calendar year, per the baseball union's filing. The NFLPA has four seats on OneTeam's board, and the MLBPA has three seats. Both Howell's and Clark's signatures appear on the resolution to change OneTeam's senior employee incentive plan. The unions representing players in MLS, the USWNT and the WNBA share one seat on the board that rotates. Only the signature of Becca Roux, the head of the USWNTPA, appears on the resolution from last year. Roux, as well as Bob Foose, head of the MLSPA, and Terri Jackson, head of the WNBPA, have hired Steve McCool of McGuireWoods as outside counsel. Advertisement 'I notified the prosecutor in New York that I represent a number of OTP board members,' McCool said by phone Friday. 'My clients have no cause for concern and they are available to answer any questions the government may have about this matter.' Outside investors own the remaining 30 percent of OneTeam that is not owned by unions. The SEIP resolution called for the NFLPA to receive 44 percent of the new plan units available to the board, and the MLBPA 33 percent. The other three unions were in line to receive 3.7 percent each. The outside investors on the board were not going to receive any new incentive units, the resolution said. Such an arrangement has the potential to create at least the appearance of a conflict of interest, according to Lee Adler, a labor lawyer with no involvement in the matter who has long worked as counsel to unions. Advertisement 'Is there something in that set of criteria for the incentive that might have some influence on how or what the union officials who sit on the board actually end up … legislating (at OneTeam)?' asked Adler, a lecturer at the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations. NFLPA employees said at a meeting in November 2024 that they expected payments via SEIP would be $200,000 to $300,000, the NFLPA official wrote in the email. Sports unions have moved aggressively to capitalize on their players' branding rights. The MLBPA and NFLPA were among the founders of OneTeam in 2019. Both unions already had for-profit arms that handled licensing business, and those arms still exist today. But they were betting that a company with aggregated rights would have greater leverage. The venture has been a boon not only for the unions but also for the private equity investors who partnered with them. RedBird Capital cashed out its 40 percent stake in 2022, when the company had a $1.9 billion valuation. The windfalls from name, image and licensing rights carry a slew of gains for athletes, including bolstering traditional labor objectives like collective bargaining. The NFLPA reported about $101 million in revenue from OneTeam from early 2024 into 2025, and the MLBPA about $45 million for 2024. But both the baseball and football unions have been wrapped up in public controversy this year over, in part, OneTeam. Advertisement Late last year, an anonymous complaint filed with the National Labor Relations Board levied allegations at Clark, including concerns over equity from OneTeam. The football union, where internal complaints had already been lodged, then brought on an outside firm, Linklaters, to conduct a review. The NFLPA has not publicized that firm's findings. But in March, in an email reviewed by , Howell notified OneTeam's board of directors that Linklaters found the NFLPA and OneTeam had been in compliance. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. NFL, MLB, MLS, WNBA, Sports Business 2025 The Athletic Media Company

High school renames field after former Husker and current Super Bowl Champion Cam Jurgens
High school renames field after former Husker and current Super Bowl Champion Cam Jurgens

USA Today

time20 minutes ago

  • USA Today

High school renames field after former Husker and current Super Bowl Champion Cam Jurgens

A former Nebraska offensive lineman was honored by his high school late last week. Beatrice High School, in Beatrice, Nebraska, named its football field Cam Jurgens Field after the former Cornhusker and current Philadelphia Eagles center on Friday evening. Jurgens was a three-sport star at Beatrice High and was the top in-state prospect in the 2018 recruiting class. He would sign with the Cornhuskers and play for Nebraska from 2018 to 21. The former Husker started his career as a tight end before making the switch to center. Jurgens thanked everyone who came out to support him and his family on this special night, as reported by 1011 Now. "Thank you, everybody, for coming out. This is such a special night... this is pretty wild, and it's going to be pretty cool with the football team out here standing next to my name." The Philadelphia Eagles selected the center in the second round with the 51st pick overall in the 2022 NFL draft. He recently signed a four-year $68 million extension with the Philadelphia Eagles. This includes a $39.4 million guaranteed contract and keeps him with the organization through the 2029 season. Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.

Best NFL pass rushers 2025: Ranking the 10 best NFL edge rushers right now
Best NFL pass rushers 2025: Ranking the 10 best NFL edge rushers right now

Yahoo

time25 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Best NFL pass rushers 2025: Ranking the 10 best NFL edge rushers right now

In the National Football League, the most important position is quarterback. So often in a passing league, it's the ability to generate pressure on the quarterback that can make the difference between winning and losing. It's why edge rushers are now starting to make $40 million per season. Here, we're examining the best NFL pass rushers heading into the 2025 season. Let's dive into our list of the best NFL edge rushers right now. Regarding the NFL stats used, pressures are from Pro Football Reference and we're using ESPN pass-rush win rate from the 2024 season. 1. Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Myles Garrett is the best pass rusher in the NFL. After seemingly wanting the Cleveland Browns to trade him to a contender this offseason, Garrett instead took a contract extension that made him the first $40 million defensive player in NFL history. He's worth it. A six-time All-Pro selection, Garrett became the fourth-fastest player to reach 100 career sacks and the first to do it before turning 29 years old. The 6-foot-4 edge rusher has 102.5 sacks in 117 career games, a sack per game pace (.876) that's even better than Bruce Smith (-.717) and Reggie White (.853). Advertisement Myles Garrett stats (2024): 44 pressures, 28 QB hits, 22 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 22% pass-rush win rate Related: Best NFL corners 2025, ranking the best NFL cornerbacks right now 2. Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys bet on Micah Parsons' athleticism in the 2022 NFL Draft, landing him with the 12th overall pick. While he hasn't won NFL Defensive Player of the Year to this point in his career, he's been a top-four candidate just about every season. An ankle sprain cost him multiple games in 2024, but he still recorded the third-most pressures and he led the NFL in hurries (21). Through his first four seasons, Parsons is averaging 0.833 sacks per game, higher than Lawrence Taylor (0.77) and Michael Strahan (0.655). Advertisement Micah Parsons stats (2024): 46 pressures, 23 QB hits, 12 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 23% pass-rush win rate in 13 games Related: NFL defense rankings 2025, evaluating all 32 defenses 3. T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Some of the best pass rushers in the NFL were taken outside the top 25 picks in the NFL Draft and T.J. Watt is among them. Snagged with the 30th overall pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2017, Watt has six All-Pro selections and seven Pro Bowl nods in eight seasons. An injury-plagued 2022 campaign is also the only reason he doesn't have seven consecutive seasons with 11-plus sacks. Not only is Watt outstanding and bringing down the quarterback, but he's already tied Reggie White (33) and surpassed Jared Allen (32) in career forced fumbles. Putting Watt's strip-sack ability into perspective, he is currently averaging nearly as many forced fumbles per game (.27) as Robert Mathis, the all-time leader in forced fumbles (54, 0.28 per game). Watt is also averaging more (0.893) than Myles Garrett and Micah Parsons. Advertisement T.J. Watt stats (2024): 31 pressures, 27 QB hits, 19 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, 19% pass-rush win rate Read More: NFL power rankings 2025, evaluating all 32 teams 4. Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images If Aidan Hutchinson hadn't suffered a fractured tibia and fibula in Week 6, the Detroit Lions edge rusher probably would have won Defensive Player of the Year. He recorded more sacks (7.5) and QB hits (17) than T.J. Watt (16 QB hits and 6.5 sacks) and Myles Garrett (15 QB hits and 7.0 sacks) in their first nine games last year. As for his career success to this point, Hutchinson boasts more sacks in his first 39 games (28.5) than Watt did in his first career 39 games (27.5 sacks). What makes Hutchinson's short stint of dominance last year even more impressive is that it came without a lot of pass-rushing help opposite him. He's a great DPOY pick in 2025. Advertisement Aidan Hutchinson stats (2024): 27 pressures, 17 QB hits, 7 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks in 5 games Related: Highest-paid NFL players 2025, highest-paid edge rushers in NFL 5. Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images Injuries have limited San Francisco 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa over the years, but he's undeniably one of the best NFL pass rushers when healthy. While Bosa's sack totals over the last two seasons (19.5 in 31 games) nearly match the numbers from his DPOY campaign in 2023 (18.5 in 16 games), he remains a force to be reckoned with off the edge. Bosa does sacrifice sufficient run defense because he tends to overpursue, but his presence on the field also creates sack opportunities for his teammates. With more help opposite him in 2025, there's a strong likelihood of Bosa recording 12-plus sacks for the first time since 2022. Advertisement Nick Bosa stats (2024): 37 pressures, 24 QB hits, 15 tackles for loss, 9 sacks, 22% pass-rush win rate in 14 games Read More: Best NFL coaches 2025 6. Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images An unfortunate theme of last season was that some of the best NFL edge rushers suffered significant injuries that kept them out multiple weeks or limited them on the field. The Las Vegas Raiders suffered an ankle injury in Week 2 and then aggravated it in Week 14, requiring season-ending surgery. It explains the dip in production, especially since he still played 96.5 percent of the Raiders' defensive snaps while injured. Prior to his injury-marred year, Crosby led the NFL in tackles for loss (45) from 2022-'23. If we were ranking edge rushers based more on all-around play, Crosby would be ahead of Bosa thanks to his superior play vs the run. Advertisement Maxx Crosby stats (2024): 35 pressures, 20 QB hits, 17 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, 20% pass-rush win rate in 12 games Read More: Best NFL wide receivers 2025, ranking 10 best NFL receivers right now 7. Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati Bengals Credit: Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Trey Hendrickson is easily one of the best NFL pass rushers right now. While he brings very little in the way of defending the run, the Cincinnati Bengals edge defender is elite at the thing he's paid for. In addition to his league-leading 17.5 sacks and 54 pressures last season, Hendrickson recorded the third-most quarterback knockdowns (17) and the second-most hurries (18). Once a third-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Hendrickson is also an example of how the New Orleans Saints' salary-cap maneuvers helped lead to an All-Pro talent walking out the door. After netting just 6.5 sacks in his first three seasons, Hendrickson has averaged 14 sacks per season over the last five years. If he stays healthy, he'll join the 100-sack club in the 2026 season. Advertisement Trey Hendrickson stats (2024): 54 pressures, 36 QB hits, 19 tackles for loss, 17.5 sacks, 24% pass-rush win rate Read More: Best NFL running backs 2025, ranking 10 best running backs in NFL 8. Will Anderson Jr, Houston Texans Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images The Houston Texans heard plenty of skepticism during the 2023 FL Draft when they traded a package featuring two first-round picks, the 33rd overall pick and a third-round pick to move up to No. 3 for Will Anderson Jr. Needless to say, the move worked out brilliantly. Anderson Jr. won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 2023, netting 22 QB hits with 7 sacks. He followed that up with his first double-digit sack season in 2024, even while missing 3 games and playing through an ankle injury. Anderson is an ascending talent who might only be a year or two away from earning second-team All-Pro honors. Advertisement Will Anderson stats (2024): 29 pressures, 19 QB hits, 16 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, 22% pass-rush win rate in 14 games Read More: Best NFL general managers 2025 9. Jared Verse, Los Angeles Rams Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images The Los Angeles Rams wasted little time when they were on the clock with the 19th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft before selecting Jared Verse. He was the third edge rusher off the board – behind Laiatu Latu (15th overall) and Dallas Turner (17th overall) – and he quickly made those other franchises look foolish. Verse posted the sixth-best ESPN Run Stop Win rate (32 percent) among all edge rushers during his rookie season, all the while generating the eighth-most hurries (15). After what he showed in the playoffs, Verse feels destined for double-digit sacks this season and might be close to reaching DPOY-caliber play. Advertisement Jared Verse stats (2024): 33 pressures, 18 QB hits, 11 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 18% pass-rush win rate Also Read: NFL offense rankings 2025, ranking all 32 offenses 10. Danielle Hunter, Houston Texans Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images The Houston Texans have two of the best edge rushers in the NFL, so it's no surprise that they finished top five in sacks (49) last season. Danielle Hunter's lone issue in his pro career has been his inability to stay healthy. However, he's played all 17 games in three consecutive years with 67 quarterback hits, 52 tackles for loss, 39 sacks and 6 forced fumbles to show for it. Hunter led the NFL in pass-rush win rate (26 percent) in 2024, which helped him finish seventh in sacks (12). Between his tremendous pass-rushing productivity and his effort against the run, it's no surprise Houston gave him a one-year, $35.6 million extension in March. Advertisement Danielle Hunter stats (2024): 34 pressures, 23 QB hits, 17 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, 26% pass-rush win rate Read More: Best NFL tight ends 2025, ranking 10 best NFL tight ends right now Related Headlines

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