It’s been a minute since we saw NFL players sporting dark visors. It was an intimidating look, to say the least. But it was also dangerous: in 1998, the league banned dark, tinted visors, citing a need to see if a downed player was conscious. The players who wore dark visors in the years following (Ricky Williams, LaDainian Tomlinson, Chris Canty, et al.) were given specific medical permission by the NFL; everyone else had to wear a clear visor.
But now, following a four-year partnership agreement with Oakley, which will make the California-based sunglasses manufacturer the official licensee of NFL eyewear, a little tint’s coming back to the league. As part of the deal, NFL fans will see a lot of Oakley O’s on helmets this season, plus “smokier” visors. The new shields are from Oakely’s Prizm Clear line, a specialized lens the brand created to help wearers further distinguish details and colors (which should prove a boon for wide receivers), and each visor comes with a subtle color tint.
Players seem obsessed with visors; they wear them at practice, for warm-ups, at the Pro Bowl, you name it, and this partnership seems like a logical win for the league. Fans, too, will be able to get in on the action. Oakley is expected to release two different styles of sunglasses, with colors for all 32 teams.
Editor’s Note: RealClearLife, a news and lifestyle publisher, is now a part of InsideHook. Together, we’ll be covering current events, pop culture, sports, travel, health and the world. Subscribe here for our free daily newsletter.
Whether you’re looking to get into shape, or just get out of a funk, The Charge has got you covered. Sign up for our new wellness newsletter today.
