Bye-Bye Brown Helmets?

Breaking news - the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have announced that they're scrapping an upcoming throwback game over a brand-new NFL rule prohibiting (or at least discouraging) the use of alternate helmets.

This could mean the end of brown shells with the Packers' blue throwbacks.

Ironically, when throwbacks were first introduced to the NFL many teams elected to re-use their current shells, labeled with period-appropriate decals, out of these same safety concerns:

Ultimately, nobody was seriously injured wearing a throwback helmet, so all teams started wearing a second set with their throwbacks. But since we now know that concussions aren't the real problem, all those tiny cumulative hits are, the NFL looks to be reconsidering its previous stand.

So, presuming that the Packers will still hold their throwback game Week 7 against the Browns, it appears that they will have to wear the standard gold shells. That's what they did in 1994, removing the logo and Braisher stripes but retaining the green facemask.

It would also mean no leather-textured helmets for the Pack.