What’s a Guardian Cap and Why Are NFL Players Wearing Them?

Mar. 15, 2025

From Left: Guardian Cap, which covers the helmet; NFL players colliding on field.Photo:Ric Tapia/Getty Images; Steven King/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Ric Tapia/Getty Images; Steven King/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Football fans might see something unusual when they tune into NFL games this season.

For the first time during the regular season,NFL playersare allowed to wear a special accessory over their helmets called a Guardian Cap. It’s foam covering meant to limit their risk of concussions.

“Football is a dangerous collision sport,” Erin Hanson, Guardian Sports founder and owner, told theNew York Times.“No doubt about it.”

The padding on the cap, which is worn over a player’s helmet, is meant to cushion blows on the field. “Various studies purport a 10 to 20% reduction in the forces generated with collisions,” University of Pittsburgh Medical Center neurologist Dr. Joseph Maroon toldCBS News.

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki leaps over Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie.Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Repeated concussions can cause chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disorder that can only be diagnosed after death, theMayo Clinicexplains. CTE can cause many problems, from cognitive issues like memory loss and trouble thinking to behavioral problems, including impulsive behavior and aggression.

Additionally,Kathie Lee Gifford, whose late husband was NFL alumFrank Gifford, shared that he hadstage 4 CTEwhen he died.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoa (center) of the Cleveland Browns.Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images

Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images

But while the helmets can help cushion the head, they don’t protect the neck, neurosurgeon and president of the Brain Trauma Foundation Dr. Jamshid Ghajar told theNew York Times.

“The neck is very flexible,” Ghajar said. “Its movement causes the brain injury problem, making the front part of the brain whiplash,” he said, adding that the front of the brain “is where we see concussions and severe brain injury.”

He added, “Helmets and padding work if you have an iron neck.”

Still, the helmets are touted as a step in the right direction. “It’s really for those plays where you might not see a guy coming from the side and get incidental contact on your head,” New England Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers told theAthletic Equipment Managers Association.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, a linebacker for the Cleveland Browns, said he decided to wear the cap after being hit during a game. “I kinda felt it a little bit," he toldSports Illustrated.“So I’m like, man, let me try this Guardian Cap and see what its [all] about.”

After wearing it, “I really didn’t feel anything really on the hits,” Owusu-Koramoah said. “I’m very glad we had the opportunity to wear those things.”

And, on Aug. 30, Indianapolis Colts' tight end Kylen Granson shared in an Instagramvideowhy he wears the protective equipment.

“Why would I not add a safety measure onto my helmet?” Granson said in the video. “Anything I can do to mitigate any sort of brain injury or long term health effects that would be detrimental to me takes precedent.”

source: people.com