How soon will we see

[Flasteel]

I don't think we will see those helmets, but have been thinking for years that there should be something over the helmet for better protection to the player wearing the helmet as well as the player getting hit by someone wearing the helmet. My thought was something along the lines of a gel type material like you find in cell phone cases.

For years my thought has been to just get rid of the hard outer shell altogether. Replace it with an identically-shaped softer material. Players will be far less inclined to use their heads as weapons and they would still be well protected. Seems too simple to be the right answer, I guess.

Kind of like my idea to make hockey more exciting by simply increasing the size of the net by a few inches.

[WindyCitySteel]

Until they can secure the brain so that it does not slosh around inside the skull on hard impact, concussions will always be part of the game. Helmet padding can only do so much, if a 250lb man hits you at full speed from the opposite direction, it's going to scramble your eggs.

It's not just about direct blows to the head.

[Northern_Blitz]

For years my thought has been to just get rid of the hard outer shell altogether. Replace it with an identically-shaped softer material. Players will be far less inclined to use their heads as weapons and they would still be well protected. Seems too simple to be the right answer, I guess.

Kind of like my idea to make hockey more exciting by simply increasing the size of the net by a few inches.

Works in Rugby (no helmet or "scrum cap"). But the collisions aren't usually as violent because guys have to play continuously instead of 10 seconds every minute. I think hits in rugby tend to be less "clean" too. Not like football where the OL make a hole and the LB and the RB slam into each other at full speed.

But I do wonder what the NFL would look like with no pads. I think you're right that you'd eliminate using the head as a weapon on day 1...maybe day 2 because some guys would be too used to it.

[Northern_Blitz]

Until they can secure the brain so that it does not slosh around inside the skull on hard impact, concussions will always be part of the game. Helmet padding can only do so much, if a 250lb man hits you at full speed from the opposite direction, it's going to scramble your eggs.

It's not just about direct blows to the head.

I thought that there was some data suggesting that a lot of the head trauma comes from contact with the ground too...although that is also the result of getting hit by a 250 lb mountain of muscle hitting you at full speed.

[Joel Buchsbaum]

They look like poo emoji's running around.

I think those practice helmets are here to stay and we are going too see helmets with passed on them, or underneath them ( my preference ) in the future.