The NFL’s newest fashion trend has been popping up at training camps around the league, and it’s definitely taking some getting used to. But it is meant to increase the safety of the players.
Hard hats are a thing now.
The NFL says players from all 32 NFL teams are wearing the padded shell attached to the outside of their helmets. In all 2022 preseason practices through the second preseason game, all offensive linemen, linebackers, tight ends and linebackers must wear a protective headgear.
The Guardian cap is intended to provide additional impact protection during the period when the league sees the highest concentration of helmet hits. The Guardian Cap, NFL studies show, results in at least a 10 percent reduction in impact severity if one player wears it and at least a 20 percent reduction in impact if two players wear it.
“Recommending Guardian Cap was a no-brainer,” Colts coach Frank Reich said. “The research just continues to show that the cumulative effect of hits over a long season matters.
“So it was a very strategic move to take time in training camp where there are more bodies, more reps, to put the cap on, to reduce the cumulative effect of hitting over the course of a season.”
Now here’s the potential negative: it looks stupid.
It makes players look like Big Gazoo from the Jetsons and the Flintstones (If you don’t know, I have nothing for you). He also hears back from former Buffalo Bills safety Mark Kelso.
The Guardian cap is described as a helmet visor. So players who spend countless hours sculpting and even waxing their bodies (yes, that’s a thing), eating right to be in top shape, and who like to dress well can look like cartoon with the Guardian’s hat.
But coaches and other players are trying to get guys to be more concerned about health and safety than looks.
“I will always act in your best interest, especially in terms of your health and safety,” Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin told his players in a meeting to introduce the Guardian Hats. “I love football. My boys play football. I am morally bound to keep this damn group safe and I promise you will take that commitment from me.”
Here’s the bottom line: This makes excellent sense so that players are able to avoid head trauma and the cumulative effect of that at the reasonable expense of aesthetics.
Using Guardian Caps has an increase more…
“You guys didn’t hear the clink of helmets today,” Washington Commanders coach Ron Rivera said after one of his team’s practices. “That’s usually what happens when you don’t have the hard hats on, you know, inevitably the casual contact helmet is going to hit the helmet.
“With these Guardian Caps what they’re going to do is absorb some of the impact and take some of the impact away from players’ helmets and kicks.”
Follow on Twitter: @ArmandoSalguero
