Coverage of the NFL in Guardian Caps
Update (March 28, 2023):
The NFL has mandated Guardian Caps for the 2023 season with expanded use. Changes include use in all preseason, regular season and post season practices instead of just preseason. Players at position groups with most head contact will be required to wear Caps; this adds running backs and fullbacks to the previously included linemen and linebackers.
“It’s substantial. It’s really important and led to a very low number of preseason concussions compared to previous years. So, you’ll be seeing a lot of the Guardian Cap this coming year. And we think that’s going to advance player safety substantially — not just against concussions, because we know that’s one metric. but against the repetitive head impacts that players take. Each one, in this case, with the Guardian Cap worn, is going to decrease the risk. That’s really important for the long-term benefit of the player and something the committee took very seriously.” – Jeff Miller, NFL executive vice president of communications for public affairs
Update (February 3, 2023):
After the 2022 season, ESPN reported that the NFL brought practice concussions to an eight-year low of 25 and that it is possible that the league will expand the use and duration of Guardian Caps during training camp moving forward.
“The NFL did, however, experience success in its efforts to mitigate preseason practice concussions. After tweaking its acclimation period at the start of training camp, and requiring players at certain positions to wear Guardian Cap pads on their helmets, the NFL brought practice concussions to an eight-year low of 25.
The position groups that were required to wear Guardian Caps experienced a 52% reduction in concussions over the same time period in 2021, according to NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller. As a result, Miller said, it is possible the league will expand the use and duration of Guardian Caps during training camp moving forward.
Overall, players suffered a total of 52 concussions from the start of training camp to the beginning of the regular season. The combined total of 213 preseason and regular season concussions was 14% higher than 2021 but within range of the three-year average from 2018 to 2020 (203).” – Kevin Seifert, ESPN.com
(September 19, 2022):
After the 2022 preseason, Jeff Miller from the NFL said that the caps “Exceeded Expectations”
“The benefits of the Guardian Cap exceeded our expectations.” On the more than 50% decrease in concussions among position groups required to wear Guardian Caps during the mandated period in the 2022 preseason. – Jeff Miller, NFL Executive Vice President
(July 27, 2022):
With training camps underway, there is one visible difference that stands out: For the first time, some players from all 32 NFL teams are wearing Guardian Caps; our padded helmet cover worn on over the shell of the helmet to the impact of hits. It’s the latest example of the league’s continued work to foster innovation that leads to better, safer protective equipment for players.
In all 2022 preseason practices up until the second preseason game, all offensive linemen, defensive linemen, tight ends, and linebackers are required to wear the Guardian Cap, providing additional impact protection during the period when the league sees the greatest concentration of helmet impacts.
“Our engineers at the NFL in conjunction with engineers from the players association have tested these in the laboratory and they found that any blow that happens to the helmet with a Guardian Cap over it reduces the force about 10-15% [at NFL speeds]. So if you imagine putting it on both players, an OL and DL for example, you’ve got an additive effect of over a 20% force reduction.” – Dr. Allen Sills, NFL’s Chief Medical Officer
Follow this blog to see the latest news surrounding the use of Caps in the NFL.
Recent News Coverage
What Experts Are Saying
NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt: NFL is Testing Safer Helmets
NFL Presents: League-wide Guardian Cap Use to Reduce Head Impacts
Video Coverage of the NFL in Guardian Caps
Social Coverage of the NFL in Guardian Caps
@colinthompsonte What’re your thoughts on the guardian caps so far? #guardiancaps #guardianhelmet #football #nfl #helmet #panthers #carolinapanthers #keeppounding #fyp ♬ original sound - Colin Thompson
Cardinals o-lineman's thoughts on the Guardian caps players are wearing on top of helmets: https://t.co/OO4yV61ejP
— José M. Romero (@RomeroJoseM) July 31, 2022
Helping protect from a career full of hits 🏈
— Guardian Caps (@Guardian_Caps) July 29, 2022
Dr. Allen Sills, the Chief Medical Officer of the @NFL joined the @PatMcAfeeShow to talk Guardian Caps and their help to the game’s best! pic.twitter.com/X8gPC1Owun
The Guardian Caps made a big impression on #HardKnocks so @sderos5 and I weighed in on the #NFL's newest practice gear on my podcast this week. Check out our takes below and listen to the full conversation here: https://t.co/bM0SBtSUgM pic.twitter.com/yKzb0LorcB
— Mike Phillips (@MPhillips331) August 20, 2022
T.J. Watt is applying that pressure 😡 The reigning DPOY is looking to repeat in 2022 🎥: @steelers @_TJWatt pic.twitter.com/YnS7FmaGFI
— Guardian Caps (@Guardian_Caps) July 25, 2022
The Guardian Cap was required to be worn in practices by some position groups up until the second preseason game. 200 players continued to wear them in the preseason. pic.twitter.com/PBRW4ya0H7
— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2022
We see lots of Guardian Caps in this joint practice between @Buccaneers and @Titans! https://t.co/82bCcjAKRC
— Guardian Caps (@Guardian_Caps) August 18, 2022
The four head coaches on the NFL Competition Committee – Frank Reich, Ron Rivera, Mike Tomlin and Mike Vrabel – recommended players wear Guardian Caps this training camp.
— NFL (@NFL) July 29, 2022
Here’s why, in their own words. pic.twitter.com/kJC6Wzyj52
Safety is the priority 💪🏾 Coach Mike Tomlin of the Steelers is in on Guardian Caps as the Steelers get started at training camp.
— Guardian Caps (@Guardian_Caps) July 26, 2022
“I’m morally obligated to keep this group safe, and you’re going to get that commitment from me.” 🏈
🎥: @steelers pic.twitter.com/lm5wvrLRPq
Guardian Caps History with the NFL
The Guardian Cap was created in 2010 to address the clear need to advance the standard football helmet, which has changed little since the 1960’s. Erin and Lee Hanson, owners of The Hanson Group LLC, utilized their 20+ years in the material science business to engineer, patent, and manufacture the Guardian Cap.
They began the process consulting with another company on a fully encompassed soft-shelled helmet. They presented the helmet to football executives but did not get the buy in. Erin and Lee realized that changing the look and sound of the game was a big “no” for a lot of football players, fans, and coaches. They decided to take to market the affordable Guardian Cap that could be easily attached to the helmet during practices and taken off during games. Reducing impact in practice was more than nothing.
The Guardian team’s focus began with the youth. When Clemson and other power teams started wearing Guardian Caps in practices, more high school teams and youth leagues started inquiring. In 2017, Guardian won the NFL HeadHealthTECH Challenge. In 2020, the Guardian Cap was seen on multiple NFL teams for practices and after a year of data collection and lab testing that showed a “statistically significant” improvement over bare helmets alone, the NFL permitted Guardian Caps in the 2021 season. In early 2022, the NFL owners announced that the League would be mandating the use of Guardian Caps during the early part of 2022 training camp for all OL, DL, TEs, and LBs. After the 2022 preseason, Jeff Miller from the NFL said that the caps “Exceeded Expectations“. After the 2022 season, ESPN reported that the NFL brought practice concussions to an eight-year low of 25 and that it is possible that the league will expand the use and duration of Guardian Caps during training camp moving forward.
Guardian continues to push the importance reducing impacts in youth – pro practices.
Guardian Caps are being used by over 100,000+ athletes nationwide to address impacts. See teams that wear Guardian Caps to reduce impacts in practices. To request more information, contact our team.
