With Tua Tagovailoa returning to play after his latest concussion, reporters asked him if he would wear a Guardian Cap for extra protection during games. Tagovailoa’s answer? A straight-up “nope.”
Given his history with head injuries, there has been much debate online on whether or not he should be mandated to wear the extra protection. However, because it is currently optional, Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said they cannot force Tagovailoa to wear a Guardian Cap.
The NFL has cited studies showing a 10% reduction in the severity of impact when a player is wearing a Guardian Cap. In comparison, severity is reduced by up to 20% when both players in a collision wear protective padding.
Despite these numbers, not many players have decided to don them during games, whether for personal choice, how they look or the extra weight added. However, many argue that health and safety is more important than the optics.
So, should the NFL keep Guardian Caps optional or mandate them during games?
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Sahil (Throw Away): I know players don’t want to wear them, and I think it’s obviously because of how they look. They don’t look cool. However, it’s not a question of looking good on the field. Health and safety has to come first.
Even if the Guardian Caps only protect a player up to 10% more, it’s still a lot in the grand scheme of things. Concussions among players who wore the extra padding during training camp and preseason in 2022 dropped by 50% compared to players who did not wear Guardian Caps. They work, and a reduction in potential injuries is better than nothing.
The NFL has a responsibility to protect its players, and any steps for even minimal concussion protection must be taken seriously. It’s time for the NFL to fully support their own initiative and require players to wear the Guardian Caps in games and practice. They should become the norm, and design aspects can, of course, be worked on to make them look better over time.
Ben (Stay): I love Guardian Caps and believe everyone should wear them to protect themselves. With that being said, you can’t force players to wear these, at least not yet.
I understand a helmet to avoid head trauma, but these Guardian Caps are bulky and very extra. Experts say it only reduces head impact by 5% on average in the NFL, which doesn’t seem prominent enough to induce a league-wide rule.
If players wanted to wear them, you wouldn’t only see one or two players donning the extra fat head during game days. If scientists can make these caps more effective, then I am all for making them required in the NFL. But for now, I don’t think it makes sense.
Conor (Stay): I think the NFL is in a fine spot with helmets as it is. The Guardian Cap is by all accounts safer, and if players want to put themselves in more danger by sticking to helmet types they’ve already worn, that is their decision. It may not be a smart decision, but I can already see the amount of complaining that would follow by making the Guardian Cap mandatory.
The biggest issue with the Guardian Caps is its look; it’s not pretty. At the end of the day, appearance on the field unfortunately takes precedence over a seemingly minor advantage in safety. It’s hard to convince players that 10% matters that much, even if it truly does. Guys don’t want to look ridiculous, so making the Guardian Caps look more visually appealing should be a top priority.
The caps should absolutely be required in practice, though; no one is watching. It’s a needless injury risk without actually playing for real.
Tess (Throw Away): If this were regarding any other part of the body, I’d argue that professional leagues should not force players to wear equipment they don’t want to. However, this is the brain we’re talking about, and it’s one of the most crucial parts of athletes that needs protection.
Sure, reducing impact by 10-20% may not seem like much, but it’s better than nothing. To me, there’s nothing scarier than seeing head-to-head collisions in football and not knowing what the damaging outcomes may be. But, with the Guardian Caps, there is extra safety and comfort in knowing that preventative measures have been taken.
Some players don’t want to wear the Guardian Caps because of the additional weight added to their heads. This is completely understandable. However, some players say they do not want to wear them because they look goofy and ruin their overall appearance on the field.
This is less of an argument than I’ll accept because Guardian Caps are still a work in progress. I’m sure experts are working on making them more comfortable and more stylish so more players will wear them consistently.
