More than two decades after the league started banning tinted visors except for players with approved medical waivers, the NFL will permit all players to wear slightly colored shields thanks to an exclusive new partnership with Oakley, the California-based producer of visors, sunglasses and other sports apparel.
Announced this week, the four-year partnership makes Oakley the first official on-field partner and licensee of the league's eyewear and will kick off with the 2019 season, when all 32 NFL teams will be outfitted with Oakley's Prizm Lens helmet shields. As part of the agreement, all players will have the option to wear Oakley's Prizm Lens Clear shields, which have a slight color tint.