Green still deciding on head gear

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Trent Green will get his first preseason start for the St. Louis Rams on Thursday, but still hasn’t decided which helmet he will wear.

The Rams (2-1) travel to Kansas City (1-2) for the annual Governor’s Cup game. Rams coach Scott Linehan will not play starter Marc Bulger, opting to save him for the Sept. 7 opener at Philadelphia. Instead, Green will get the bulk of early duty.

“Trent has really had limited work and I think could use some time out there on the field,” Linehan said Wednesday.

The choice of head gear is important for Green, 38, who is in his second stint in his hometown of St. Louis. Each of his past two seasons were cut short by concussions when he was with the Chiefs in 2006 and the Dolphins in 2007. He didn’t play after suffering a concussion in the fifth game last year.

This preseason, Green has been experimenting, wearing a different helmet in each of the first three games.

“When I came back from the concussion a year ago, I wore the same helmet, I did everything the same,” Green said. “Unfortunately, I had another one last year, so this year I’ve had three different helmets I’m experimenting with, just to find one that is comfortable.”

Each one is a little different, Green said.

“There is air, there is liquid, some are bigger, some are smaller, some have more depth, some protect the jaw more,” Green said.

Does he worry about getting another concussion?

“As crazy as this sounds, no,” Green said.

Green is in his 15th NFL season. He signed with the Rams as the starter in 1999 but suffered a season-ending knee injury in the next-to-last preseason game. That opened the door for Kurt Warner’s storybook grocery clerk to Super Bowl hero season — the Rams, behind Warner, went 13-3 and beat Tennessee 23-16 in Super Bowl 34.

The Rams traded Green to Kansas City prior to the 2001 season. He guided the Chiefs to two playoff appearances and earned two Pro Bowl invitations before being traded to Miami prior to the 2007 season. He signed with the Rams this past offseason.

In St. Louis, he’s reunited with Al Saunders, the former offensive coordinator at Kansas City who took on that role with the Rams this season. Still, Linehan wants to make sure Green is familiar with the system.

“We can’t assume just because he’s a vet who knows the system, that he can just go out there and turn it on, although I would bet on him more than a lot of guys,” Linehan said. “He needs to go out and play and get his snaps in.”

Despite the injuries, Green has no regrets.

“It’s been a great run, it’s been a great career,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. You learn from all the different experiences.”