NFL Launches HealthTECH Challenge to Upgrade Facemasks and Cut Concussions
Rising facemask-related concussions prompted a focused search for designs that better absorb contact.
Overview
- Announced at the Super Bowl LX Innovation Summit, the new round invites global submissions to improve facemask impact protection and related helmet components.
- League data show 44% of in-game concussions in 2025 involved facemask impacts, up from 29% in 2015, as shell advances outpaced facemask improvements.
- Entries may address connector geometry, energy-absorbing materials, or retention systems, with designs compatible across helmets or tailored to specific models.
- Submissions are due May 28, 2026, at 5 p.m. ET, with an informational webinar for applicants on March 3.
- Football Research, Inc. and Duke Biomedical Engineering will assess proposals, with selected winners receiving up to $100,000 in aggregate funding plus expert development support.