Bengals: Joe Burrow wearing new helmet designed to protect quarterbacks
A new hairstyle is not the only change Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is making this year. Sitting on top of his new flow will be a new helmet as well. Burrow sported a new helmet style that other top quarterbacks, such as Patrick Mahomes, have worn in recent years in his training camp debut […]
A new hairstyle is not the only change Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is making this year. Sitting on top of his new flow will be a new helmet as well.
Burrow sported a new helmet style that other top quarterbacks, such as Patrick Mahomes, have worn in recent years in his training camp debut with the rest of the Bengals' quarterbacks and rookies on Sunday.
Burrow has worn a Riddell SpeedFlex helmet since entering the NFL as a rookie in 2020. This new helmet is very similar to the one Mahomes has worn for the vast majority of his career, but it comes with an important update.
The Zero2 Matrix QB helmet is made by VICIS, and their newest model for the 2023 season was announced earlier this offseason. According to Dr. Ann Bailey Good, a mechanical engineer for the company that conducted lab tests with the model, the Zero2 Matrix "did 7% better at reducing impact severity compared with the most popular helmet worn by quarterbacks last season," as reported by NFL.com's Judy Battista in April.
Fashion aside, that's good news for Burrow. Including playoff games, the Pro Bowl passer has been sacked 153 times in his NFL career, and this is only the start of his fourth season. That doesn't even count the number of overall hits he's taken.
The safest possible helmet for the most important position in the sport should probably be worn by every quarterback. It's good to see Burrow take initiative, even if it looks like he's just emulating his biggest rival.
Joe Burrow can accomplish something in 2023 that Patrick Mahomes already failed to accomplish
Bengals QB Joe Burrow can accomplish something in 2023 that Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes already failed to accomplish
Featured image via © Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports
