What’s a Guardian Cap and Why Are NFL Players Wearing Them?

Football fans might see something unusual when they tune into NFL games this season.

For the first time during the regular season, NFL players are allowed to wear a special accessory over their helmets called the Guardian Cap. It is a foam pad designed to limit the risk of concussions.

“Soccer is a dangerous collision sport,” said Erin Hanson, founder and owner of Guardian Sports. The New York Times. “No doubt.”

Hanson told the newspaper that when players wore caps during practice, the number of concussions decreased by 50%. NFL CEO Jeff Miller, who oversees the league’s health and safety initiatives, shared the statistic in an interview with NPR.

The padding on the cap, which is worn over the player’s helmet, is intended to cushion impacts on the field. “Various studies claim that the forces generated by collisions are reduced by 10 to 20%,” University of Pittsburgh Medical Center neurologist Dr. Joseph Maroon told CBS News.

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki jumps over Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie.

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Repeated concussions can cause chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disorder that can only be diagnosed after death, the Mayo Clinic explains. CTE can cause many problems, from cognitive problems like memory loss and thinking problems to behavioral problems, including impulsive behavior and aggression.

It is also associated with depression and suicide. In 2021, the family of former NFL player Vincent Jackson, who died by suicide, announced that he had CTE.

Additionally, Kathie Lee Gifford, whose late husband was NFL alum Frank Gifford, said he had stage 4 CTE when he died.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoa (center) of the Cleveland Browns.

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But while helmets can cushion the head, they don’t protect the neck, said neurosurgeon and president of the Brain Trauma Foundation, Dr. Jamshid Ghajar. The New York Times.

“The neck is very flexible,” Ghajar said. “Its movement causes a brain injury problem, creating a jerk in the front of the brain,” he said, adding that the front of the brain is “where we see concussions and severe brain injuries.”

He added: “Helmets and padding work if you have an iron neck.”

Still, the helmets are being touted as a step in the right direction. “It’s really for those plays where you might not see a guy coming off the sideline and get accidental contact on your head,” New England Patriots safety Jabril Peppers told the Athletic Equipment Managers Association.

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Colts’ Kylen Granson explains why he’s wearing a Guardian cap this season: ‘I want to remember’

Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah said he decided to wear the cap after being hit during a game. “I felt it a little bit,” he said Sports Illustrated. “So I said, man, let me try this Guardian Cap and see what it is [all] about.”

After wearing it, “I really didn’t feel anything on the kicks,” Owusu-Koramoah said. “I’m very glad we had the opportunity to wear these things.”

And on August 30, Indianapolis Colts tight end Kylen Granson shared in an Instagram video why he wears the protective gear.

“Why don’t I add a safety measure to my helmet?” Granson said in the video. “Anything I can do to mitigate any brain injury or long-term health effects that would be detrimental to me has an advantage.”

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education