New types of helmet attachments were mandatory at teams’ training camps this preseason. The “Guardian Cap” was designed to reduce the risk of head injuries – and did its job well, according to the NFL.

New York/Munich – That head injuries are a problem in the National Football League (NFL) and in the contact sport of American football is no longer a secret. In order to better protect the league’s players in the future and to further reduce the risk of concussions, the NFL has therefore introduced a new type of helmet attachment for the current 2022 season – the so-called “Guardian Cap”.

For the time being, from the start of this year’s training camp until the second preseason game, the NFL teams were obliged to let certain position groups train with the “Guardian Cap”. The foam helmet cap was mandatory for offensive and defensive linemen, tight ends and linebackers.

Now the NFL has drawn a positive interim conclusion. On average, the number of concussions in these position groups has been reduced by 50 per cent, according to NFL Vice President Jeff Miller. “The benefits of the ‘Guardian-Ca'” have more than exceeded our expectations,” the league executive continued.

NFL: League officials full of praise – helmet exceeds expectations

Manufacturer “Guardian” states that players wearing the helmet attachment could reduce their risk of head injury by about one-third with the “Guardian Cap. “

The NFL itself, meanwhile, is even more pleased: according to its own figures, only eleven concussions were reported to the league during the past summer of training camp in 2022 with the introduction of the “Guardian-Cap” – compared to an average of 23 in the previous three years.

Detroit Lions: players laugh at helmet attachment – “Look like a big mushroom “

Meanwhile, the response from players and team officials to the “Guardian cap” has been split. That’s because although Miller says more than 200 of the active NFL pros wore the helmet cap even after the mandatory period ended, it took some getting used to.

“It just looks weird,” said Aaron Glenn, defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions in the series “Hard Knocks,” which followed the NFL team on camera during the preseason. “It’s a part of the NFL that we have to get used to. But I understand the intent behind it.”

It’s a similar adjustment for the Lions’ players. “I look like a big mushroom,” defensive end Michael Brockers said of the “guardian cap.” Plus, you can’t hear anything under the new helmets.

Guardian-Cap: Helmet attachment could change season decisively.

However, the unfamiliar helmet attachment could make or break an NFL team’s season. “It might look strange at first, but it might allow us to reduce the damage to players,” said Kelvin Sheppard, linebackers coach for the Lions. For more player safety from head injuries, it seems to be an effective step.