NFL players will be able to wear the Guardian Cap during regular-season games for the first time, and some have already taken advantage of it in the preseason.
The Guardian Cap was not widely available when Rob Gronkowski was tearing up the football field for the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Fox News Digital asked the likely Pro Football Hall of Famer whether he would have considered wearing it.
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New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, #87, takes the field before their game against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Dec. 30, 2018. (Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports)
“I haven’t tried it out, but it would definitely be a possibility,” he said. “It’s definitely something I would have thought about because I’ve had a lot of injuries in my career and having injuries suck. It sucks to recover from them and it kind of just stalls your life big time in every aspect.
“I would have definitely tried it out to see the comfort level. If it was a big distraction on my play, then no, I wouldn’t wear it. But they’re making it look cool. They’re making it look like it’s a normal helmet now with the details and the decaling that they’re doing. I would definitely try it out and if it wasn’t hindering my play, then it would definitely be a high possibility that I would have worn one.”
The cap was invented in 2011, and since it was introduced in the NFL two years ago, concussions have gone down in training camp by more than 50% from the average of the 2018, 2019 and 2021 seasons, according to the league.
New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, #87, runs the ball against Los Angeles Rams outside linebacker Samson Ebukam, #50, during the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Feb. 3, 2019. (Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports)
The Guardian Caps were introduced during training camp before the start of the 2022 season. They were made mandatory at preseason practices in 2023 as well as any regular-season or playoff practice that featured contact. Only quarterbacks, wide receivers, defensive backs, kickers and punters are not obliged to wear the piece of protection.
The NFL has stated that if both players involved in helmet-to-helmet contact are wearing the cap, the force of the impact is lowered by at least 20% and 10% if one player is wearing it.
The league also reported that Guardian Caps worn during training camp practices in 2023 helped the league realize a seven-year low in training-camp concussions.
“We’ve got two years of data now showing significant concussion reductions in those players that wear Guardian Caps in the NFL,” the NFL’s chief medical officer, Dr. Allen Sills, said in a webinar in April. “We might actually see a Guardian Cap on a player in a game this year.”
Jonathan Taylor, #28 of the Indianapolis Colts, warms up before a preseason game against the Denver Broncos at Lucas Oil Stadium on Aug. 11, 2024 in Indianapolis. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
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Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins also discussed the use of the Guardian Cap with Fox News Digital. He said he probably would not wear the piece of equipment but supported those who chose to wear it.
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