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Time of India
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
"I can't stand the helmet": Aaron Rodgers pressured into helmet switch following NFL safety ban in lead-up to Pittsburgh Steelers debut
Aaron Rodgers (via Getty Images) Veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers, newly signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, will not be donning his long-time helmet this season. The National Football League has officially prohibited the Schutt Air XP Pro Q11 LTD helmet, a model Aaron Rodgers had worn consistently throughout his two-decade playing career. The four-time NFL MVP, who is in his 21st season, was resolute in his displeasure with the change being imposed upon him this week during the Steelers' minicamp. Aaron Rodgers starts Pittsburgh Steelers chapter with unwelcome helmet change Aaron Rodgers' return to the Pittsburgh Steelers has set off headlines—except it's not all about his on-field comeback. The 40-year-old quarterback was forced to bid an unhappy farewell to his signature helmet because of a new NFL safety policy that prohibited several older models found to be unsafe. The Schutt Air XP Pro Q11 LTD, the personal equipment of Aaron Rodgers in the past few years, such as with the New York Jets, is now added to the banned list after the league's yearly helmet safety test. Aaron Rodgers was seen sporting a Schutt F7 Pro model during his first official Steelers practice, a helmet that complies with updated NFL standards. But he didn't mince words when asked about the transition. "I can't stand the helmet," Rodgers said candidly. "I've worn a Schutt for 20 years and somehow it finally didn't pass the safety standards." Rodgers Wants His Old Helmet Back 😭 The NFL and NFL Players Association collective safety committee eliminated seven helmet models this off-season, including Rodgers' model and other popular ones such as the Riddell Speed and Xenith Epic+. The action is part of a continued effort to improve player safety in light of increasing concerns regarding concussions and long-term brain damage. Rodgers is no stranger to such alterations, however. In 2019, he had to make a helmet switch after another prohibition, though he was more gracious then, complimenting the better fit and craftsmanship of helmets made today. Also read: Will the Steelers regret signing Aaron Rodgers before Thanksgiving, as predicted by a former Jets GM? With training camp imminent and preseason preparations heating up, a decision will be forthcoming soon. As Aaron Rodgers starts this critical chapter with the Pittsburgh Steelers, a fresh helmet could be a modest but telling change in a season already fraught with promise.
NBC Sports
14-04-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
If Aaron Rodgers plays, he'll need a different helmet model
The football future for quarterback Aaron Rodgers remains to be determined. The future of his football helmet has been decided. His preferred model — the Schutt Air XP Pro Q11 LTD — has been banned. Matt Moret of has the list of the seven latest forbidden football helmets. They are the Riddell Foundation, the Riddell Speed Icon, the Riddell Speed, the Riddell Revolution Speed Classic, the Schutt Air XP Pro Q11 LTD, the Xenith Epic+, and the Xenith Epic. Via Andrew Vasquez of USA Today, Rodgers wears the Schutt Air XP Pro Q11 LTD. During the 2024 season, an item from pointed out that Rodgers, Joe Flacco, Thomas Morstead, and Nick Folk use that same model. Rodgers has been there, done that already. In 2019, he needed to find a new helmet after his prior choice was dropped. 'It's not difficult at all,' Rodgers said at the time. 'I was wearing the one like [Brett Favre] was wearing for so long. That was a little outdated, probably, and then I think around that time when the CBA got signed, they had some better regulations about the safety quality of the helmets, and I've just kind of been up to date for years. Last year, my helmet — because there's been such advancements in helmet safety — my helmet was in the not-as-safe category but anybody wearing that got one more year to find a new helmet. I knew coming in I was going to have to change.' So the banning of his helmet apparently won't factor in Rodgers's decision on whether to play in 2025. Sooner or later, we'll know what he's going to do. We think.
