Big Blue Huddle

The Guardian Caps about-face has been confirmed.

After league executive Dawn Aponte nonchalantly mentioned in a recent webinar that players will have the option to wear Guardian Caps during games in 2024, we asked the league for confirmation.

NFL executive V.P. of health and safety Jeff Miller confirmed that the players will have that option as of 2024.

"We now have two years of data showing significant concussion reductions among players who wear Guardian Caps during practice so players will be permitted to wear the cap during games this upcoming season," Miller said in a statement provided to PFT. "Additionally, there are new helmets this year that provide as much — if not more — protection than a different helmet model paired with a Guardian Cap. These developments represent substantial progress in our efforts to make the game safer for players."

Last year, the league declined to let players wear Guardian Caps during games. No player publicly expressed a desire to do so. This year, they can do it if they want.

Given the look of the Guardian Caps, many will surely hope that the players choose not to wear them during games. Pro football is an extremely visual sport; it thrives in large part because of how it looks on TV. With sleek helmets coated in clumpy coverings that look like soundproofing panels, the vibe will be compromised.

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/nfl-confirms-players-can-choose-to-wear-guardian-caps-during-games

Quote from: MightyGiants on April 26, 2024, 02:52:42 PMThe Guardian Caps about-face has been confirmed.

After league executive Dawn Aponte nonchalantly mentioned in a recent webinar that players will have the option to wear Guardian Caps during games in 2024, we asked the league for confirmation.

NFL executive V.P. of health and safety Jeff Miller confirmed that the players will have that option as of 2024.

"We now have two years of data showing significant concussion reductions among players who wear Guardian Caps during practice so players will be permitted to wear the cap during games this upcoming season," Miller said in a statement provided to PFT. "Additionally, there are new helmets this year that provide as much — if not more — protection than a different helmet model paired with a Guardian Cap. These developments represent substantial progress in our efforts to make the game safer for players."

Last year, the league declined to let players wear Guardian Caps during games. No player publicly expressed a desire to do so. This year, they can do it if they want.

Given the look of the Guardian Caps, many will surely hope that the players choose not to wear them during games. Pro football is an extremely visual sport; it thrives in large part because of how it looks on TV. With sleek helmets coated in clumpy coverings that look like soundproofing panels, the vibe will be compromised.

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/nfl-confirms-players-can-choose-to-wear-guardian-caps-during-games

Am I correct in recalling that the data on these helmets (so far at least) has been quite good Rich? I feel like I read an article that presented evidence that they do appear to have a materially positive impact on player safety. Do you have a similar understanding?

Quote from: DaveBrown74 on April 26, 2024, 02:57:27 PMAm I correct in recalling that the data on these helmets (so far at least) has been quite good Rich? I feel like I read an article that presented evidence that they do appear to have a materially positive impact on player safety. Do you have a similar understanding?

According to the NFL, Guardian Caps have reduced concussions by 50% since 2022, when the league mandated their use during preseason practices for linemen and running backs. In 2023, the NFL observed a 52% reduction in concussions during the preseason compared to the previous three-year average, which the league attributes to the increased use of Guardian Caps

Quote from: MightyGiants on April 26, 2024, 03:00:40 PMAccording to the NFL, Guardian Caps have reduced concussions by 50% since 2022, when the league mandated their use during preseason practices for linemen and running backs. In 2023, the NFL observed a 52% reduction in concussions during the preseason compared to the previous three-year average, which the league attributes to the increased use of Guardian Caps

So they reduced serious head injury by half yet we're worried about the fact they look funny?



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The data is a little skewed as they've only been tested in practice sessions rather than real games. Practices see little violent collisions compared to Sunday gameday

I suspect that there will be some style changes, as they are ugly as hell. Football is a violent game, and what we have beats the old leather wrappings that kept your brain intact, very similar to a bean bag keeping beans from spilling all over the floor, but I do understand the need for safety. Still, those things look disgusting

During my life as an engineer, I worked specifically with shock absorbers for several months...nothing at all like you see on a car, as they were not based on springs, but rather miniature hydraulics . These were very small and very effective, that absorbed PC boards from breaking as chips were place on them at about 20 chips per second. I would think it would be possible to design a two layered helmet with a nicely designed shock absorber between the two layers. It would seem better than covering a players head with a quilted patterned pillow