The 2016 edition of the NFL rulebook has yet to be published, but we have a glimpse into one rule change that will be made that will affect players in cold weather.
According to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, NFL players will no longer be able to wear exposed hoodies over their shoulder pads. The player best known for making use of them has been former Green Bay Packers wide receiver James Jones (currently a free agent).
Players may not wear exposed undergarments with an exposed hood hanging outside the collar of the jersey. Hello Green Bay.
— Mike Pereira (@MikePereira) June 8, 2016
The hoodie often blocked the name on the back of Jones’ jersey. Since that violated the uniform policy, no vote was required of the owners to ban the garment.
There likely won’t be a lot of backlash from players on this. Jones was one of a select few who actually made use of hoodies underneath his pads, and few NFL cities get as cold as Green Bay does during the winter time.
But, we’ve all seen his signature hoodie for the last time. Perhaps Jones will find another signature uniform accessory moving forward. There’s no doubt he’ll have to find other ways to stay warm out on the field.
[ESPN]