Why Weren't There More Guardian Caps at the Super Bowl?

The football world just held it's biggest event, and even if you're not a fan, you likely tuned in for Super Bowl 59. Between the Kendrick Lamar of it all and the rematch between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, it was bound to be a great game. But it was also a pretty physical one. The Eagles employed a successful, yet super intense defensive strategy managing to shut out the Chiefs the entire first half. It involved a lot of head-on contact and collision, which begs the question: why aren't the athletes wearing more protection?

Throughout the 2024-2024 season, the conversation swirling in the NFL has been about how players can better protect themselves from concussions using something called a Guardian Cap. This over-the-helmet cover is designed to reduce the impact of hits to the head. But rarely do you see players wearing them on game night, though they are mandated for practices.

In October, when Miami Dolphins quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, stated that he would not be wearing one, despite suffering multiple concussions in the last two years, he cited "personal choice." But what about the other roughly 1,700 players in the league? And why aren't Guardian Caps required for big games like the Super Bowl?

Experts Featured in This Article:

Daniel H. Daneshvar, MD, PhD, is co-director of concussion recovery for Mass General Brigham Sports Medicine.

What Is a Guardian Cap?

Guardian Caps are soft, padded helmet covers that are worn over football helmets. The caps work by absorbing linear impact through the padding, and reduce rotational forces as well, because they're not statically fixed to the helmet, says Jake Hanson, the chief operating officer of Guardian Sports, which manufactures the Guardian Cap. According to Hanson, each cap weighs less than seven ounces, and one size fits all standard football helmets.

"The caps are meant to help reduce the impact forces during head collisions by absorbing impact force," says Daniel H. Daneshvar, M.D., Ph.D., co-director of concussion recovery for Mass General Brigham Sports Medicine. "They aim to provide additional protection against concussive and non-concussive hits."

Guardian caps were mandated during the 2023 season at every preseason practice, and this year, the NFL allowed players to wear them during regular season games. Still, many players opt out of wearing them.

How Effective Are Guardian Caps?

"While no helmet or aftermarket add-on can prevent or eliminate the risk of concussions and other serious head injuries," Hanson says, "The Guardian Cap has been found to reduce HARM (short for head acceleration response metric, which is used to measure the severity of head impacts and the efficacy of protective gear) by up to 40 percent."

When the league tested Guardian Caps in the 2022 football preseason, groups required to wear the caps saw an over 50 percent reduction in concussions, compared to the previous three-year average (excluding 2020). However, Dr. Daneshvar notes that this could be for multiple possible reasons, as the studies have not yet been independently reviewed and published.

The NFL and NFL-affiliated researchers have also reported that Guardian Caps absorb about 10 percent of the force during a collision in lab settings if one player is wearing the cap, and 20 percent if all players involved are wearing them. Dr. Daneshvar explains: "Given that an average concussion occurs at around 80 [g-force], this means a cap (worn by a single player) would decrease an average concussive impact to around 72g." For reference, according to a 2004 study that evaluated concussion data from the NFL suggests that a 98g acceleration puts the athlete at a 75 percent risk of injury.

Guardian Caps clearly help reduce the risk of concussions from head-on collisions. A comprehensive scientific review has shown that repetitive head impacts in football can be followed by changes in cognitive function in the brain, and more than 300 former NFL players have been posthumously diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, better known as CTE.

So Why Don't More Athletes Wear Guardian Caps?

"The Guardian Cap is worn by over 500,000 football athletes, but primarily in practice," says Hanson. "As for games, football players, coaches, and fans are all creatures of habit, and any change in any aspect of the game is going to result in some criticism."

Dr. Daneshvar adds that there have been some concerns about potential changes in how the caps might alter player technique, and many have concerns about comfort and fit, combined with the perception of added weight or bulk. Additionally, he says some are still skeptical about the Guardian Caps's effectiveness in preventing concussions.

For some players, fashion also takes precedent. "Oh, I can't stand them," said Eagles cornerback Darius Slay in a recent interview, per Dazn, a popular sports streaming platform. "It impacts my swag."

That said, there has been a slow rise in adoption among other teams. "Hopefully, more and more people start wearing them," said Pittsburgh Steelers guard James Daniels, per Dazn. "I truly believe they help, so I'm glad the NFL is allowing us to wear them."

"I can't mess around anymore. I want to stay healthy, and if this is what it takes, then I'm all for it," said Josh Whyle, a tight end for the Tennessee Titans in an interview with ESPN.

— Additional reporting by Alexis Jones

Kaley Rohlinger is a freelance writer for PS who focuses on health, fitness, food, and lifestyle content. She has a background in the marketing and communications industry and has written for PS for over four years.

Alexis Jones is the senior health and fitness editor at PS. Her passions and areas of expertise include women's health and fitness, mental health, racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare, and chronic conditions. Prior to joining PS, she was the senior editor at Health magazine. Her other bylines can be found at Women's Health, Prevention, Marie Claire, and more.