Oakley unveils tinted visors as part of new NFL deal

Tinted visors will make a comeback in the NFL this season.

Oakley announced Tuesday that the company has inked a four-year partnership with the NFL to become an official on-field partner and licensee. The partnership will give all players the option to wear Oakley's Prizm Clear shields during games, which have a slight color tint to "help optimize detail recognition in the football environment," according to the league.

The NFL banned tinted visors in 1998 for safety reasons but made medical exceptions.

"We really just got excited about a brand that's so endemic to sports, but also one that's a leader in their category from an optical standpoint," Nana-Yaw Asamoah, the NFL's vice president of business development, told Jonathan Jones of The MMQB. "We've had rules around visors and what players are allowed to wear on the field, but we haven't had any relationships there. Through conversations what became uncovered was that from both a performance and safety standpoint, there was a lot more that could be done in this space and working with a brand like Oakley could really take us to the next level on that."

To coincide with Tuesday's announcement, Oakley released a short film featuring Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. Mahomes became the first NFL player to sign with Oakley earlier this year.

(Photos courtesy: Oakley)