In case you didn’t know, the NFL has been doing its own helmet safety testing for the last several years. This year’s round of helmet testing saw some serious shuffling among approved helmets. Three types got banned, others got moved to the “Not Recommended” list, and one of the new approved helmets is a position-specific helmet for OL and DL. Interesting.
Nothing will change until tackling rules are changed to make players have to grab and wrap up, instead of launching and using their shoulder pads and helmets as blunt force weapons. As you say, rugby style. Anybody who thinks that would be boring has never watched rugby.