With training camps scheduled to start at the end of the month, the NFL and Oakley have designed a new product called the Oakley Mouth Shield for 2020, and it’s designed to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus on the field.

The new face shield is expected to be delivered to all 32 NFL teams over the next week. At it stands right now, there’s no formal mandate that requires players to wear a face shield.

“The player feedback was integral in coming up with this design,” said Dr. Jeff Crandall, chairman of the NFL’s Engineering Committee. “They (Oakley) would start with this design and say: ‘Do you like this one better or this one? How’s your field of view on this one?’

“At the end, they did have feedback from players. This was their choice for the players they’ve evaluated so far. I think each player is going to have an evaluation for themselves in terms of exactly how they favor one concept versus another.”

Crandall further explained how the mouth shield works.

“They came up with a mouth shield that tried to keep the field of view as much as possible; you don’t want to block the lower part. You want to promote breathing and not a sense of restriction. You want to maximize comfort.

“Prevention from touching the face was also a consideration, and obviously the biggest consideration was how can you mitigate the exchange of droplets,” he said.

You can see the design below in the drawings.

 

Also, here’s a color photo from ESPN’s Tim McManus.

Products like this could make their way to college football, too, as teams began formal workouts on July 13.