Pittsburgh Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth has suffered at least three documented concussions since entering the NFL, two as a rookie. While he managed to escape head injuries last season, he did not escape a groin injury, which cost him several weeks.
Despite his concussion history, however, Freiermuth says he will not take advantage of the NFL’s new in-game policy. Having recently introduced Guardian Caps into practice settings, players can now wear them in games.
“No. No. No”, Freiermuth said on Tuesday when asked if he planned to wear one via the team’s website. It’s a natural question to ask him, given his history of concussions, and he did wear them in practice. “It is what it is. I don’t know, but I will not be wearing those things in any type of game”.
The Guardian Cap is a specially designed extra layer of padding that can attach to the top of a helmet. According to NFL research, the league saw a steep decrease in the instances of concussions in practice following their introduction.
The NFL first began using the Guardian Caps in 2022, after Pat Freiermuth’s rookie season, in which he suffered multiple concussions. While he called them “dumb” at the time, he said that he liked them because of his history.
The image is tough to take, and the protection lacks a desired aesthetic element, but the league is working on that. This season, we have seen some teams utilize customized caps that go on top of the padding, making it look more like a traditional helmet—just much more bulbous. I should note that the Steelers are not one of those teams. Freiermuth and the rest are just wearing the padding.
The NFL has ample reason to try to make the game as safe as possible—more specifically, liability protection. They know all about concussion lawsuits by now, so getting players like Pat Freiermuth on board with wearing Guardian Caps and other safety devices is the next step.
If the league and its partners can increase the aesthetic appeal, they will have a much easier road to hoe. Especially when you’re out there in public, people just don’t want to look “dumb”, in Freiermuth’s words. They already have a helmet on, after all, so surely that’s enough.
Of course, they could always make it a mandatory piece of equipment, which seems reasonable. After all, they fine players for wearing the wrong socks or faces. At least enforcing the use of protective equipment has like…a purpose.
Because let’s face it, if even guys like Pat Freiermuth with a concussion history are coming out strong and saying they are not wearing them in games, the NFL isn’t going to find a ton of volunteers. It’s one thing to run around bigheaded in practice, but to do so on national television?
