Guardian Caps, a type of padded headwear worn outside of a player’s helmet, have been seen in the NFL as early as 2020 and were mandated leaguewide in 2022 for high-contact positions during the early part of training camp.
NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller said the caps reduced concussions by nearly 50 percent for the position groups wearing them during that time in 2022. Last season, the mandate was expanded to include all preseason practices leading up to the regular season.
Then, in April, the league announced it would allow Guardian Caps in regular season games. When prompted by reporters, two Seattle Seahawks players shared vastly differing views on the caps.
“I hate them. I hate the guardian caps. I think they’re crap,” Seahawks defensive tackle Jarran Reed said post-practice on Friday. “I understand the safety for them, but I've been playing a long time. It just looks crazy to me. I don't like them. I’m ready to take them off.
“I don't see a difference; I’m not going to lie to you. I don’t like it. I think it’s funny especially when somebody makes a play and they get it flipping on top, it looks really funny.”
Reed, when asked if he believes any players will wear them in regular season games, replied, “I hope not.”
Guardian Caps do look goofy, but progress is being made in that department. The Los Angeles Chargers have been seen early in training camp wearing wraps on top of the caps to improve the aesthetic. The wraps more closely resemble the look of a standard helmet.
Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith was on the other side of the aisle when asked about Guardian Caps. Smith highlighted that “he’s all for it” when it comes to minimizing injury.
“I’ve been thinking about wearing mine,” Smith said Friday. “I’m still debating on if I should wear my Guardian Cap, I don’t know yet. But obviously, I hit a lot of people with my head, so I have to be careful out there.”
Most fans would probably be more in favor of players wearing the caps in-game if they can spice them up a bit, like the Chargers have. However, the current unknown is how long it will take for those wraps to be adopted by other NFL teams.
