NFL hopes to reduce head injuries with helmet experiment
The mushroom-like contraptions NFL players are wearing on their helmets during training camp may look strange, but they’re a part of an ongoing safety experiment the league hopes will lead to a reduction in head injuries.
They’re called Guardian Caps, and they’re now mandatory for all 32 NFL teams through the second preseason game — the time when the league says head injuries are most prevalent.
“There’s a density of exposure, and a density of injury, at the beginning of training camp and the competition committee has been looking for ways to change that,” said Jeff Miller, executive vice president for NFL player health and safety.
The league said laboratory research indicates the 12-ounce Guardian Caps result in at least a 10% reduction in severity of impact to a player’s brain. It says that number climbs to at least 20% if both players involved in a collision are wearing them.
Miller said mitigating those forces “will have a cumulative effect for the betterment of health and safety of the player.”
Not everyone, however, is convinced Guardian Caps are the answer.
Chris Nowinski, co-founder and CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, is “more than a little skeptical” that the extra padding helps prevent head injuries — and wonders if it could be doing more harm than good.
“Adding weight to a helmet can make things worse for the brain when it comes to rotational impacts,” said Nowinski, who previously served as a co-director of the Boston University Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy.
“Adding size to the helmet does the same thing. It’s very difficult to recreate this in a lab. We aren’t sure if this will be a net positive or a net negative.”
New York Jets coach Robert Saleh also has concerns.
He questioned whether players are using their heads more now because the Guardian Caps soften the blow — something he believes could be an issue once the caps come off and actual games begin.
“Anyone who’s played football before knows that the first time you take those (caps) off or you hit with your helmet, or you have a collision, there’s a shock,” Saleh said. “If you’re waiting until the first game for that shock to happen, I think it’s … I don’t know. Time will tell.
“It’s just interesting with those Guardian Caps, and what exactly are we trying to accomplish?”
Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver isn’t seeing the benefits of the caps either and Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce even openly mocked them.
Oliver said the padded shells “aggravate” him, making him feel like “a bobblehead” on the field.
“It’s just heavy,” Oliver said. “I like the way my helmet feels without it. I have been playing without it for this long, I just don’t like it.”
Kelce showed up to an Eagles practice with extra bubble wrap on his helmet.
“They say the Guardian Caps add 20 percent protection,” Kelce quipped. “I figure the bubble wrap gave me another 2 or 3” percent.
Despite the skepticism, Miller said the feedback from most players has been positive — even if they feel the Guardian Caps look a little funny.
“I wouldn’t say they’re aesthetically pleasing, and I think we look a little goofy,” said Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert. “But they’re there for good reason. They did studies with them. Anything to keep us safer, why not do it?
“Obviously you only get one brain. May as well keep it as best you can.”