Now, in his 3rd season as an NFL quarterback Cam Newton may face a fine for wearing a team issued facial mask that is attached to his helmet with a clip that bears the Under Armour logo.
Nike signed a $1.1 billion apparel deal with the NFL and wearing any logo other than theirs is an fineable violation.
“No visible identification of a manufacturer’s name or logo on the exterior of a helmet or on any attachment to a helmet is permitted unless provided for under a commercial arrangement between the League and manufacturer,” reads Rule 5, Section 4, Article 2(a) of the NFL rulebook.
NFC communications director Randall Liu said in an email it is a violation “if the clips are not clear of all logos.”
The Panthers thought the visor clip was in compliance with league rules because it was blacked out and a team source said they use them because they’re easier to work with. There has been no word whether Newton or any other Carolina players who used the clip Sunday will be penalized. NFL fines are usually announced on Fridays.
Seems like if the team has admitted to issuing and using the clips on a regular basis, they’d be the ones facing the fines and not the players.