Guardian Caps: The NFL's Soft-Shell Shield Against a Hard Truth
Big picture: CTE crisis meets a padded fix
A British Medical Journal study published in August 2026 dropped a hammer: at least one in four NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the degenerative brain disease. Of 878 players who appeared in at least one NFL game and died during that six-year span, at least 25% had CTE. Dr. Daniel Daneshvar, the study's lead author, called that 25% estimate the low end.
The NFL responded in part by saying it continuously strives to make the game of football safer, including by implementing strategies to reduce concussions and head impacts. One of those strategies? Guardian Caps.
The NFL first authorized the protective headgear during regular-season and postseason games in 2024. Since then, more players have elected to wear the caps on game day.
What are Guardian Caps?
They're large, soft-shelled pads worn over football helmets. The mission is simple: reduce the risk of concussions and other head injuries during play.
How effective are they?
According to NFL research, a Guardian Cap can absorb at least 10% of the force of a hit. Not a force field. But in a sport where inches and milliseconds matter, 10% is not nothing.
Are players required to wear them?
Yes — during training camp practices. But there's a loophole. Players are exempt if they choose one of six new helmet models that provide equal or better protection, according to the league and the NFL Players Association. They can also choose to wear Guardian Caps during games, which first became an option in 2024.
Where did Guardian Caps come from?
In 2011, Erin and Lee Hanson founded Guardian Sports with a mission to protect athletes through better equipment. They'd been approached in 2010 about developing a flexible shell for helmets.
The company's birth coincided with a Pittsburgh injury law firm suing the NFL over concussions — a first-of-its-kind filing for 120 former players. Head injury headlines kept coming, including through the 2015 movie Concussion, which told the story of forensic pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu and his battle with the NFL over his CTE research.
How have the caps evolved?
Guardian Caps have been used in football practices since 2015. The first version had a fixed strap, but those straps often broke under motion. Elastic straps allowed more movement, yet the face mask could still pop off the straps. In 2017, a rubber flap was added over the straps, plus Velcro for double reinforcement. That year, the cap won the inaugural NFL HeadHealthTECH Challenge, a league-funded competition to promote equipment development.
The current model, called Guardian NXT, was made specifically for the NFL. It has additional padding that floats at the top of the helmet. That floating design helps the cap move with the helmet to reduce neck injury risk.
When did the NFL start using them?
After tests simulating NFL game impacts from 2015 through 2019, the NFL sent a memo in August 2020 to team physicians, head athletic trainers and equipment managers. The league then moved forward with on-field experimentation.
After the Jacksonville Jaguars tested Guardian Caps in 2020, the NFL approved their use in practice for offensive and defensive linemen in 2021. Why those groups? Because it was previously determined they take more helmet collisions during a week of practice than they do in a game. The cap isn't marketed as a concussion-preventing device, but it could theoretically help reduce concussion rates.
The NFLPA allowed players to use the cap for practice on a voluntary basis in 2021. Twenty-three teams began camp with the caps on an experimental basis. The padded headgear became mandated for players at certain positions during training camp in 2022 and 2023. NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller said Guardian Caps have contributed to a nearly 50% reduction in concussions for their specified position groups.
Who actually wore them in games?
According to GuardianSports.com, 20 players adopted Guardian Caps during 2024 games:
RB De'Von Achane, Miami Dolphins; RB Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans; RB Roschon Johnson, Chicago Bears; WR Romeo Doubs, Green Bay Packers; TE Josh Whyle, Tennessee Titans; TE Kylen Granson, Indianapolis Colts; OT Bernhard Raimann, Indianapolis Colts; OT Luke Goedeke, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; OG James Daniels, Pittsburgh Steelers; OG Kevin Dotson, Los Angeles Rams; OG Aaron Stinnie, New York Giants; DT Evan Anderson, San Francisco 49ers; DE Josh Hines-Allen, Jacksonville Jaguars; LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Cleveland Browns; LB Otis Reese, Tennessee Titans; LB JD Bertrand, Atlanta Falcons; S Jabrill Peppers, New England Patriots; S Rodney Thomas II, Indianapolis Colts; S Damar Hamlin, Buffalo Bills; S Taylor Rapp, Buffalo Bills.
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