For the first time this NFL season, players are allowed to protect their heads with a guardian cap over their helmets. In Week 1, a trio of players are likely to use this option, with one professional reacting to a concussion suffered in preparation

With Xavier Worthy in his NFL debut for the Kansas City Chiefs or Saquon Barkley in his first game for the Philadelphia Eagles, a few players have already attracted attention in Week 1. They needed a majority of touchdowns to do so.

Josh Whyle of the Tennessee Titans and Kylen Granson and Rodney Thomas II of the Indianapolis Colts will cause a stir this Sunday with their looks alone. Because the three professionals want to wear the Guardian Cap approved by the league. The padding is pulled over the helmet and offers additional protection for the head – even if there is a crash in the turmoil.

Until now, this helmet cover was only known from training sessions where the action was intense. Now it will also be a common sight in competitive matches.

Whyle is reacting to the second concussion he has suffered in the space of a year. While the first was a result of a regular-season game, he suffered the second during a one-on-one training session with the Seattle Seahawks in August after hitting his head on the ground.

After two weeks of forced rest, the tight end only returned to practice earlier this week. “I can’t fool around anymore,” Whyle emphasized to ‘ESPN,’ ”I want to stay healthy and if that’s what it takes to do that, then I’m all for it.”

For him, his second season starts on his 25th birthday with an away game at the Chicago Bears. He played without the protection in the preseason, but was only on the field for ten snaps

Guardian cap in the NFL: Granson wants to talk about safety

In contrast, it won’t be an entirely new feeling for Granson and Thomas in their home game against the Houston Texans. They tested out the Guardian Cap during preseason games, as did fellow Colts players Grant Stuard, Zavier Scott and Jonathan Taylor, as well as James Daniels of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In the “Indy Star”, Granson explains why he has already made such a public commitment to the innovation: “My mother, my parents taught me at a young age to protect myself, to protect my head. That’s really important. Your health.” For him, it is “the perfect platform to raise my voice and talk about safety”.

The 26-year-old, like Whyle a tight end, says he has received many messages of support from parents and coaches. The fact that he has been criticized because the Guardian caps look unusual does not bother him.

In this context, Granson draws a comparison with the protective bars on the cockpits of Formula 1 cars, which were also frowned upon at first, but which have long since proved their worth and have probably saved many a life. “At first, everyone thought they were stupid. And after a while they thought: ‘Okay, they are really, really valuable and useful’,” he says about the so-called HALO system.

He can therefore understand if fans think helmets with foam padding are not aesthetically pleasing, “but with the positive health benefits, it allows their favorite players to play longer and safer.”

Taylor tests Guardian Cap and decides against it

Taylor, the biggest name to play with Guardian Cap so far, decided against it for Week 1. The reason is simple. “I tested it out, but I didn’t have enough reps to really tell what impact it would have,” the running back told the newspaper.

He added: “I was trying to figure out how much it could hinder me if a defender was able to (grab it) and I was able to get away somehow.” So as a ball carrier, he fears more disadvantages.

Stuard, meanwhile, still seems torn. “I feel like it makes me play softer,” doubts the linebacker, who will probably be in demand primarily as a special teamer. In the preseason, he also wore the Guardian Cap because he was used in defense, “and when I play there, I often use my head because I don’t have such long arms”.

The 25-year-old says: “For some reason, it hurt my aggressiveness when I wore the Guardian Cap. But I might come back to it because I played really well with it on the special team.”

According to Granson, Guardian Caps are not the only option to better protect your head this season. “There are some helmets that are just as effective as the Guardian Cap,” says the helmet protection pioneer: ‘I know some teammates who don’t wear Guardian Caps, but they wear better helmets than before. ’