Aaron Rodgers makes drastic change at training camp to piece of equipment not recommended by NFL

When Aaron Rodgers showed up for the first practice of training camp this week, he had a slightly different look. The new Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback was sporting a new helmet.

For the past few years, Rodgers had worn a Schutt Air XP Q11 helmet, but that exact model was banned by the NFL for the 2025 season, so the Steelers quarterback was forced to pick a new model. He showed up at minicamp with a Schutt F7 Pro, but that decision ended up being a disaster. 

After his first practice in June, Rodgers made it pretty clear that he hated the helmet. 

“I can’t stand the helmet,” Rodgers said, via NFL Media. “I’ve worn a Schutt for 20 years and somehow it finally didn’t pass the safety standards.”

For training camp, Rodgers is making the switch to a Schutt Air XP Pro VTD II, according to NFL Media. The NFL puts all of its helmet models through rigorous testing during the offseason and the specific model that Rodgers picked is “not recommended” by the league, but players are still allowed to wear it. However, if Rodgers decides to play in 2026, there’s a good chance the Schutt Air XP Pro VTD II could be banned, because that’s usually what happens after a helmet is place on the “not recommended” list. 

That’s what exactly what happened from 2024 going into 2025. Rodgers was allowed to wear his favored helmet model (Schutt Air XP Q11) last season with the New York Jets, but just barely. Prior to the 2024 season, the NFL did some testing on that model and gave it a “not recommended” label, but Rodgers decided to wear it anyway. For 2025, the Schutt Air XP Q11 ended up being one of seven helmet models that got totally banned, which is why Rodgers is now wearing a new model. 

Here’s a look at the seven models that were legal to wear last year, but have been dumped for 2025: 

• Riddell Foundation
• Riddell Speed Icon
• Riddell Speed
• Riddell Revolution Speed Classic
• Schutt Air XP Pro Q11
• Xenith Epic+
• Xenith Epic

Rodgers made a helmet switch back in 2019 and he made it sound like it wasn’t a big deal, but at 41 years old, he’s being slightly more picky about his helmet choice. The former Super Bowl MVP has made a lot of changes this year — he changed teams, he got married — but changing helmets is one change he would clearly prefer not to be making.