Report: NFL developing facemasks with surgical/N95 material

During an appearance on "The Adam Schefter Podcast," Thom Mayer said a
recommendation probably will be made to the NFL that the league use the
revised facemasks. Mayer said the new designs could see the entire facemask
covered by the new protective material.

"Back in early March, I had suggested that we should consider novel and
emerging ways to handle the helmets and the facemasks and the spread of the
virus," Mayer said. "And these guys, the bioengineers that we use and that the
league uses -- Oakley, as you may or may not know, does all the face visors
for the league under contract -- these guys got the bit between their teeth."

As for the look and design, Mayer said he is still not sure which direction
the design will ultimately go.

"They've got some prototypes; they're doing really good work," he said. "Some
of them, when you first look at them, you think, 'Gosh, no' -- 'cause you're
not used to seeing it; you're just not used to seeing it. But they're looking
at every issue you can imagine, including when it fogs up. What do we do with
that? But these guys are used to dealing with this stuff."

All team facilities were ordered shut down as of March 25 due to the
coronavirus pandemic. The NFL will allow facilities to be reopened on Tuesday
by teams that are permitted to do so under state and local regulations, but
only for specific personnel.

Commissioner Roger Goodell outlined the rules governing the reopening -- what
the NFL is calling "Phase 1" of a return to football activities -- in memo to
team executives and general managers May 6.

Among the restrictions: Teams can have only 50 percent of their staff in the
facility at a time and no more than 75 people. Players are prohibited from
team facilities unless they are undergoing treatment or rehabilitation. And no
coaching staffs are allowed at team facilities during Phase 1.

--Field Level Media