The NFL is taking another major step toward improving player safety, specifically working to reduce head injuries in inherently violent sports.
The league announced Thursday that the Guardian cap, which is steadily becoming a fixture in practices, will be allowed to be used in games during the 2024 season.
“So we expanded the (practice) mandate to all players, leaving the option open for quarterbacks, kickers and punters. But players also have the option to wear them during games if they wish.” NFL Football Chief Operations Officer Dawn Aponte said during a health and safety webinar.
“There were already a number of clubs that required all players to wear helmets (in practice).”
This is something of a seismic shift as it relates to game day, but players have generally accepted padded covers attached to the outside of their helmets. According to league analysis collected over the past decade, “If one player is wearing a Guardian cap when hitting the helmet, the cap absorbs at least 10 percent of the force. If you are wearing a helmet, the impact force will be reduced by at least 20% in the event of a crash.”
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Given this level of injury prevention, the league is strongly considering requiring players to wear position-specific helmets designed to minimize exposure to head injuries based on more specific risk factors. Currently, players seem to be more concerned about form than fashion.
“It’s really become the norm here. The players are very aware of the cap,” Los Angeles Rams equipment director Brendan Berger said. They looked at the data and it worked. The Guardian Cap has become another of his equipment that they use for practice. If you think about the fact that we’re reducing all the head impacts from the players who are wearing it, it’s become natural now. ”
Berger also announced that the Rams will use additional caps in practice in 2021 after quarterback Matthew Stafford injured his throwing hand during training camp when he hit his cap off his helmet while following a pass. He also shared that he had chosen.
So, does this new safety enhancement mean that players will soon be required to wear Guardian caps every time they take the field, whether it’s practice or a game?
“Every year you’ll see a little bit of improvement,” Aponte said, adding that the players and team “have been very receptive to the changes.”
And there could be more data soon as the league continues to collect safety data on wearing caps in live-action game environments.
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