October 03, 2024
Two years after mandating that players in certain position groups wear Guardian Caps during training camp and preseason practices in hopes of cutting down on concussions, the NFL this season is allowing any player to wear the padded shells over their helmets in games.
The caps now come with a cover that bears the same colors and designs of a helmet so players still match their teammates.
The NFL is still collecting data on the impact of Guardian Caps, but entering the season, league officials said that the caps helped reduce concussions in preseason practices by nearly 50 percent.
According to the NFL, five to 10 players per week have opted to wear the Guardian Caps in games, but the majority of players prefer not to use the extra layer of protection.
According to The Athletic’s second anonymous player poll, in which beat writers queried 110 players across the league on a wide range of topics, 65 of the 109 players who responded to this question oppose the idea of wearing Guardian Caps in games. Meanwhile, 31 players gave Guardian Caps in games a thumbs up in general, even if they aren’t necessarily wearing one, and the remaining 13 are undecided.
Most players who were against the Guardian Caps didn’t like the extra weight they add to their heads.
“Thumbs down,” one player said. “Because I think, to me, it adds unnecessary weight to be hauling around the whole game.”
Added another, “Thumbs down, for sure. It’s not the most comfortable thing. Plus if you’re on the interior, I feel like they’d come off or unclip very easily.”
And one player specifically said he’ll never wear a Guardian Caps because he hates the look.
“Thumbs down for me personally. I’m never gonna wear that,” he said, “and it’s literally just because of the fashion part. It does a good job of protecting your head, but I’m not wearing it.”
The NFL this season issued six new helmet models that are believed to provide improved protection from concussions. Some players have deemed them satisfactory and believe that Guardian Caps aren’t needed.
“I mean, I’m personally not wearing one,” one player said. “I didn’t wear one all during training camp. I got the new helmet. You know, it’s football. You’re gonna get your head hit. And that cushion helps a little bit and it’s up to everybody’s preference, but mine is I’m good without.”
Said another, “That’s just a little too much. We have helmets to protect us. At the end of the day, if you’re gonna get a concussion that’s not gonna protect you. If you get hit hard enough or your head hits the ground, you’ll still get a concussion. It’s not 100 percent foolproof.”
Some players viewed the need for Guardian Caps as a case-by-case situation.
“Thumbs down, even at practice it’s a little heavier. So for my position (defensive back), thumbs down,” one player said. “Maybe offensive linemen with the repetitive little hits, it would be thumbs up. But I’m not gonna wear it. I don’t know too many people who would. In practice, I guess I get it. But not for games.”
Another player said of Guardian Caps: “It’s not football. The technology has gotten so advanced. Concussions are going to happen. That’s part of the game. That’s what you sign up for. The (Guardians) aren’t part of the game. If guys sign up for that, OK. But for me, I don’t care for it. …
“If this is about player safety, why not emphasize getting rid of turf fields? I get the helmet stuff, but some fields are notorious for getting players injured. Not only for a two-week span, like a concussion, but a whole year.”
Some players in favor of wearing Guardian Caps in games believe that any extra protection is worth a mild degree of discomfort.
“Thumbs up,” one said. “While they might not look the sleekest, at the end of the day you can’t really be too mad at guys for protecting themselves and their bodies, especially if they have families to come back to.”
“You’re ignorant if you say thumbs down,” another said. “It’s at each player’s discretion, and CTE is terrifying.”
And then there are the undecideds.
“I never really kind of considered it as a real option,” one player said. “I saw a guy for (another team) wearing one, and in my head, I was like, ‘Oh wow, guys are really wearing it.’ If it becomes a thing, I might have to dive into a little bit.”
Some of the earliest adopters to wearing Guardian Caps in games have already gone on the record to discuss their support.
Indianapolis Colts tight end Kylen Granson told The Athletic’s James Boyd during the preseason that he would wear a Guardian Cap during games.
“At one point people thought seatbelts were f—ing stupid,” Granson said. “Why wouldn’t I (wear it)? Just because it looks silly? I feel like health and safety is more important than aesthetics.”
New England Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers has also worn one every game this season. He said after debuting it in Week 1 that the weather was actually a consideration in his decision because the sleeve that goes over the cap blocks the air vents in the helmet.
“If it was 80 (degrees), I wouldn’t have worn it,” Peppers said. (Game-time temperature that day was 70 degrees.)
It’ll be interesting to see what kind of data the NFL’s medical officials obtain from this season following the implementation of the six new helmet designs and how those figures compare to previous years, and how those figures versus the Guardian Cap data findings shape players’ views.
We do know Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was wearing one of the new helmet designs when he suffered another concussion in Week 2. It remains unclear when/if Tagovailoa will return to action.