Last year, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa became the face and name most associated with concussions, after suffering two (or, if you have common sense and functioning eyesight, three). But Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett also suffered two, to far less attention and fanfare.
Although some Miami fans become irked by the fact that Pickett’s head injuries are largely ignored, his occurred under different circumstances. Tua’s first official concussion happened four days after the unofficial bout of prolonged stumbling that resulted in him returning to a game against the Bills. And the first official concussion came from a violent collision with the turf, resulting in placement on a stretcher and transportation in an ambulance to a local hospital. The second official concussion went unnoticed during the game, but for the rash of bad decisions and interceptions that came during the Christmas Day loss to Green Bay.
But Pickett did have two concussions. Steelers G.M. Omar Khan told PFT Live at the Scouting Combine that it is a concern. It’s enough of a concern to get Pickett to embrace a new Vicis helmet aimed at better protecting quarterbacks from suffering concussions when their heads strike the turf.
“I showed up and it was in my locker,” Pickett said recently, via Mark Kaboly of TheAthletic.com. “I told them, ‘Yes, I will try it. Throw it in there.’”
The new helmet is called the Vicis Zero2 Matrix. Among other things, it’s designed to give better protection at the back of the head, which often strikes the ground when a quarterback is knocked down.
This will be Pickett’s third NFL helmet. He initially used the Riddell SpeedFlex, the same helmet he wore in college. He then switched to the Riddell Axiom. He’ll now be using the highest-rated helmet for non-linemen.
“They said that was the best one for quarterbacks, so I said, ‘Fine, give it to me,’” Pickett said, per Kaboly.
Pickett knows the stakes, as do the Steelers. He can’t have concussion after concussion after concussion and fulfill his NFL potential.
But avoiding concussions goes beyond headgear. Quarterbacks need to know how to avoid contact. They need to get rid of the ball a little earlier. Get out of bounds a little more nimbly. Get down faster.
And, when a fall is unavoidable, they can’t rely on the helmet protecting their brains from contact with the turf. They need to try to keep their heads from striking the ground, as Tua is doing with his jiu-jitsu training.
