At this week’s NFL owners meeting, the Eagles submitted five possible rule changes. They’re down to one remaining (a ban on players leaping over the snapper on field goals and PATs). We mentioned last week that the team had proposed the use of a second helmet so teams with a multi-colored history could have an alternate jersey/throwback. The current rule in place bans a second helmet because of a break-in period that is supposed to make one consistent helmet safer. That’s why the Eagles’ rule got shot down, but Don Smolenski isn’t buying it. From Les Bowen:

Smolenski said that while teams are able to apply or remove decals to give a throwback look, none of them actually has a second helmet. In addition, Smolenski said – and this seems particularly silly – while you can change the decals, you can’t completely wrap a helmet with a new color and decal, the way NASCAR wraps cars, instead of painting them.

Additionally, the theory of the helmet “break-in period” may not actually be proper. Bowen mentions that when the league first put the one helmet rule in place in 2013, they also used the excuse that “‘safety’ was being stretched to include the fact that some players still wore helmets that were no longer made, and couldn’t be duplicated for a second helmet color.” If a helmet has been discontinued for at least the last 4 years, how safe can it really be? And, “equipment managers say the ‘break-in period’ theory is outdated,” according to Bowen. That doesn’t surprise me. This has always been a CYA effort on the part of the league.

Still, Smolenski says the Eagles weren’t given a clear reason why their proposal was shot down. He says they may try again next year. But you know what solves this whole issue? A full-time switch to Kelly Green!