What are Guardian Caps? How are they used in the NFL?

In an effort to reduce head injuries, the NFL has authorized the use of Guardian Caps during games.

Several players, including Indianapolis Colts star running back Jonathan Taylor, wore the cap in games during the 2024 preseason. Josh Whyle of the Tennessee Titans chose to wear a Guardian Cap during his first game of the season vs. the Chicago Bears.

Here are more details about the protective headgear.

What are Guardian Caps?

Guardian Caps are large, soft-shelled pads worn over football helmets, with the objective of reducing the risk of concussions and other head injuries during play.

How effective are Guardian Caps?

The cap can absorb at least 10% of the force of a hit, according to NFL research.

Are NFL players required to wear Guardian Caps?

NFL players are required to wear Guardian Caps during training camp practices. There’s also an alternative to the Guardian Cap mandate. Players are exempt from wearing them if they select one of the six new helmet models that provide equal or better protection, according to the league and the NFL Players Association. They can also choose to wear Guardian Caps during games for the first time during the 2024 season.

When were Guardian Caps created?

In 2011, Erin and Lee Hanson started Guardian Sports with a mission to protect athletes by developing optimal sports equipment. They were initially approached in 2010 about developing a flexible shell for helmets.

The founding of Guardian Sports coincided with a Pittsburgh injury law firm suing the NFL over concussions, a first of its kind filing for 120 former players.

The NFL garnered more head injury-related headlines through the 2015 movie “Concussion.” The film tells the story of forensic pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu, who battled the NFL about suppressing his research on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (or CTE), a debilitating brain disease that can cause a range of symptoms including memory loss.

How have Guardian Caps evolved over time?

Guardian Caps have been used in football practices since 2015. The initial cap was connected with a fixed strap, but the straps often broke with their inability to handle motion. The addition of elastic straps allowed more movement, but the face mask would still pop off the straps.

In 2017, a rubber flap was added over the straps, along with Velcro for double reinforcement. That year, the cap won the inaugural NFL HeadHealthTECH Challenge, a competition funded by the league to promote the development of equipment.

Since then, the cap has undergone extensive testing by the league. The current cap, called Guardian NXT, was made specifically for the NFL. It has additional padding, which “floats” at the top of the helmet. The floating helps the cap move with the helmet to reduce the risk of neck injury.

When did the NFL begin using Guardian Caps?

Following a series of tests that simulated the impacts NFL players sustained during games from 2015 through 2019, the NFL sent team physicians, head athletic trainers and equipment managers a memo in August 2020. With the test results, the league decided to move forward with on-field experimentation with the caps.

After the Jacksonville Jaguars tested Guardian Caps in 2020, the NFL approved their use in practice for offensive and defensive linemen in 2021. It was previously determined those position groups take more helmet collisions during a week of practice than they do in a game. Though it isn’t marketed as a concussion-preventing device, the cap could theoretically help reduce the rate of concussions.

The NFLPA allowed players to use the cap for practice on a voluntary basis in 2021. Twenty-three teams began camp with the caps on an experimental basis.

The padded headgear was mandated for players at certain positions during training camp in 2022 and 2023. This year, NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller said that Guardian Caps have contributed to a nearly 50% reduction in concussions for their specified position groups.

Will players wear Guardian Caps during the regular season?

While NFL players are now allowed to wear Guardian Caps during games, it remains to be seen how many players will opt to wear them during the regular season. Patriots S Jabrill Peppers, Colts TE Kylen Granson, S Rodney Thomas and Titans TE Josh Whyle wore them in Week 1.

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