NFL gives players option to wear Guardian Caps during games

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The NFL has embraced the Guardian Cap for practice. The NFL has previously resisted the notion of letting players wear Guardian Caps during games.

The reality is that, even if the Guardian Cap promotes brain safety, it doesn't look good. It obscures the helmet design, especially with more teams incorporating more and more designs.

During a recent webinar, NFL Chief Administrative Officer Dawn Aponte nonchalantly mentioned a new "option" to wear the Guardian Cap during a game, "if he so chooses." (The comment appears at 37:45.)

"So we might actually see a Guardian Cap on a player in a game this year," NFL Chief Medical Officer Allen Sills said in response. "That's possible. Great. Big change coming up." (38:08.)

It's a massive change. It's an about-face by 345 Park Avenue. Last year, the league was clear on this: "A player would be prohibited from wearing a Guardian Cap during a game."

The league possibly is betting on the vast majority of players choosing not to opt for a path that will make them stand out. Regardless, the league has (wisely) realized that it's impossible to reconcile a desire to maximize player health and safety with a refusal to let players choose to wear an extra piece of safety equipment — especially since it apparently works.