One thing learned in the aftermath of the Colin Kaepernick controversy was this: Players can’t remove the flag decal from their helmets.

One thing learned tonight, acting on a tip from a reader, was this: Players can (and at least one did) remove the NFL shield from their helmets.

In each of the final two preseason games of 2016, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady played in a helmet that did not have the NFL shield in the left rear portion of the helmet. He didn’t play at all in the first two preseason games.

He missed the second preseason game after slicing his thumb with scissors. And, frankly, it’s a lot more plausible to use scissors to remove a decal from a helmet than it is to remove something stuck in a cleat.

PFT has requested comment from the league. Brady begins a four-game suspension on Saturday for his role in #DeflateGate.