But the visual profiles of some NFL football helmets may change drastically in 2024. The league has approved the in-game use of padded helmet accessories known as Guardian Caps, which, according to the NFL, "can reduce the force from head contact" by up to 20% .
Affixed to the outside of players' existing helmets via snaps and Velcro straps, Guardian Caps consist of a series of soft, rectilinear pads connected by fabric.
There seems to be good reason to encourage their use. Using data collected from all 32 teams, the league found that the devices reduce the impact force of head-on-head collisions by 20% when both players involved wear the device, and 10% when one of the players is wearing one.
Up until the 2nd preseason game, linemen, tight ends, and linebackers will be required to wear the Guardian Cap. Based on testing conducted by NFL-NFLPA engineers, addition of Guardian Cap represents a 20% reduction in head impact severity if two players are wearing them. pic.twitter.com/XG9fx0hIHq — NFL (@NFL) May 3, 2022
Touting the safety benefits of the Guardian Caps is an obvious public relations win for the NFL. Ongoing research into chronic traumatic encephalopathy , or CTE, and other traumatic brain injuries continues to show just how much damage repeated blows to the head can do to the brain, with football players particularly vulnerable.
"I hate them," Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Jarran Reed told The Seattle Times . "I understand the safety for them, but I've been playing a long time. It just looks crazy to me. I don't like them. I'm ready to take them off."
"I can't stand them. It impacts my swag" Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay told CBS Sports . "My game is part of my swag. If I ain't looking the part, I can't feel the part."
Obviously, in such a fast-paced and violent game, the tiniest margins -- both physical and psychological -- can make a difference in performance. And players like Reed, Slay and at least a dozen others don't seem to be willing to sacrifice their ability to maximize on-field performance for incremental safety gains.
As important as such players' objections to the feel and look of Guardian Caps may be, it may not be the most significant problem the NFL faces in their adoption.
The negative impact the Guardian Caps have on the look of the game, and the importance of that look to the continued popularity of the game, have not gone unnoticed.
"With sleek helmets coated in clumpy coverings that look like soundproofing panels, the vibe will be compromised," he added.
Fortunately for Florio and others who dislike the look of the Guardian Cap, the NFL has already approved and encouraged the use of six new helmet models that purportedly provide equivalent protection to those with the Guardian Cap affixed to them.
These models don't exactly look like normal helmets, either. But they don't look like Guardian Caps, and that could make all the difference.
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