NFL Authorizes In-Game Use of Guardian Caps on Players' Helmets for 2024 Season

The NFL will allow players to wear guardian caps on helmets during games in the 2024 season.

During a webinar about how the league has improved helmet technology and made other safety provisions with equipment, NFL chief administrative officer Dawn Aponte said the league has decided to allow players to wear a guardian cap during games if they choose.

The guardian cap was initially mandated for early training camp practices in 2022. The league expanded the requirement last year to include regular-season practices. Quarterbacks, kickers and punters are the only positions groups exempt from wearing the caps in practice.

Friday's news serves as a marked shift in approach from last year when the NFL took a firm stance that it would not allow a player to wear the guardian cap in a game.

The equipment is used by players all the way down to the youth level and is even used in other contact sports like ice hockey. It is meant to "reduce the impact of daily blows" and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said it has produced a "50 percent reduction in concussions" for those who wore it in training camp.

The equipment has seen some criticism from players and coaches, with five-time Pro Bowler J.J. Watt saying in 2022 that the equipment made him feel like a "bobblehead" and that he felt like he would fall over due to the added weight on his helmet.

Still, the familiarity created from use in non-game situations and the increased safety could see some players embrace the equipment change on Sundays.