National Football League

NFL bars too many bars on facemasks

Published Jul. 1, 2014 12:49 a.m. ET

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Brandon Spikes won't look quite as intimidating in 2014, and that's not only because he'll be wearing Buffalo Bills red, white and blue rather than New England Patriots blue, silver and red.

The facemask Spikes wore in 2013 will be banned by the NFL next season, NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported Monday. The NFL is putting an end to "non-standard/overbuilt," or "Bane"-style facemasks due to safety concerns.

The non-standard facemask was made popular by current Oakland Raiders defensive end Justin Tuck when he played for the New York Giants.

Rapoport obtained a memo sent out by NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent, who said the masks add weight to helmets that can cause neck fatigue, causing players to lead with the head.

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