Over the past several season, the NFL has embraced the use of the Guardian Cap during practices, which is a softer outer covering that goes on top of NFL helmets. But now, it sounds like the league is going to allow players to wear them during games, as well.
Previously, the NFL has resisted the use of Guardian Caps during games, but as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk pointed out this week, NFL Chief Administrative Officer Dawn Aponte casually mentioned during a recent webinar that players would have the “option” to wear the Guardian Cap during games this season “if he so chooses.”
“So we might actually see a Guardian Cap on a player in a game this year,” NFL Chief Medical Officer Allen Sills said in response, according to Pro Football Talk. “That’s possible. Great. Big change coming up.”
While Guardian Caps do offer a bit more protection from possible head injuries, the reality is that they don’t always look the best and they cover the traditional helmet design. But it sounds like the league is going to allow them to be worn during games despite the aesthetics.
This is obviously a major change. We’ll have to see how many players choose to wear it.
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