NFL players will have the option to wear the Guardian Cap during regular-season games for the first time this year, with several athletes already deciding to wear the piece of protective equipment during the preseason.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins is likely to have at least one teammate wearing it this season. He told Fox News Digital in a recent interview that he understands the reason for wearing it but is more likely to keep his regular ole helmet.
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Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins is shown during the preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Aug. 23, 2024. (Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports)
“I do believe our starting center is going to plan on wearing one for the season,” Cousins said. “He just wants to be proactive and use every resource at his disposal to protect himself in the near term and really for the long haul, which I think he’s wise to do.
“My helmet … has kind of done its job, knock on wood, and has protected me. And I think I’ll continue to lean on that and then also just continue to pray for protection. Some things are unavoidable. I think it’s a good thing that the league is allowing guys to take the measures like the Guardian Cap to protect themselves.”
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.
Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins warms up on the field before the preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Aug. 23, 2024. (Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports)
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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.
The Colts’ Jonathan Taylor wears the Guardian Cap before the preseason game against the Denver Broncos at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Aug. 11, 2024. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
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“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.”
Fox News’ Ryan Morik and Chantz Martin contributed to this report.
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