The Los Angeles Chargers have unveiled a genius idea regarding Guardian Caps that could make them a permanent fixture in the NFL.
Multiple NFL players, including Los Angeles Chargers offensive linemen Bucky Williams, Joe Alt and Alex Leatherwood, have been wearing the Guardian Caps for extra protection during training camp.
In April, the league finally gave players the green light to wear Guardian Caps in the regular season. Per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller stated that Guardian Caps reduced concussions by nearly 50 percent during the 2022 and 2023 training camp sessions for the players that wore them.
The last remaining issue with Guardian Caps, of course, was their appearance and the fact they covered up the helmet logos and player numbers.
But as Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer showed, the Los Angeles Chargers may have found the ideal solution that could lead to a giant surge in the usage of Guardian Caps: The usage of skull caps, which cover the guardian caps to present a more realistic look of an NFL helmet:
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The NFL has spent more than a decade trying to reduce concussions as part of player safety, including rule changes, the usage of ATC spotters and the implementation of the concussion protocol system that began in 2011.
Los Angeles Chargers May Have Changed The NFL Forever
Unfortunately, concussions remain still remain a significant concern across the league. Per The Athletic, there were 219 total concussions during 2023 regular season and preseason games.
NFL players have every reason to wear the Guardian Caps, since the science and data prove that they can significantly reduce the risk of concussions. That also, hopefully, means preventing more tragic cases of players suffering from CTE after their playing careers.
Skull caps are good enough to resemble the look of a regular NFL helmet. The Chargers just delivered a stroke of genius for all 31 other teams to follow, and this might be the start of a significant advancement in health and safety for American football players.
