More NFL players are wearing 'bobblehead' Guardian Caps to protect their brains – but does the science check out?

IT WAS A throwaway comment from a friend while watching Redzone during week one of the NFL season: “No player wearing a Guardian Cap will ever get into the Hall of Fame.” And yet, it makes perfect sense. If you have even a passing interest in the NFL, you’ll have noticed an increase in the number of players wearing Guardian Caps, the oversized padded cover that straps onto the outside of a traditional hard-shell football helmet. First introduced at the beginning of the 2024 season, around 25 players wore one at various points that year.