In an effort to make the game safer, especially during padded practices throughout training camp, the NFL is taking the next steps toward getting approval for expansion of Guardian Cap requirements around the league.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the NFL is moving forward in pursuit of approval to expand the Guardian Cap requirements to cover defensive backs and wide receivers this season. In the past, positions where contact happens often, such as on the offensive and defensive lines, were required to wear the Guardian Caps after the league passed a resolution to use them in March 2022 at the annual NFL owners meetings.
Now, the league is looking to expand requirements to receivers and defensive backs, per Breer.
The Guardian Caps mandate from March 2022 represented the first significant step in the league’s effort to eliminate all avoidable head contact, a goal that NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills announced earlier in 2022. In the first year of the caps in 2022, the league reported a decline in concussions of 52 percent within the positions wearing the caps.
Those numbers have not yet been reported for the 2023 season.
The Guardian Caps certainly look weird, like giant pillows on helmets, but they are seemingly doing their job.
Founded in Georgia by Erin and Lee Hanson, the Guardian Cap brings a padded, soft-shell layer to the outside of the decades-old, hard-shell football helmet and reduces impact up to 33 percent while also keeping players cooler. The cap clips on to the helmet around the face mask to create a soft shell around the helmet itself, which allows for easy on-and-off use while also protecting the helmets from wear and tear, keeping them safe for game day.
