Guardian Caps: What ATs Should Know (and Why You’ll Want to Read This)

Check out Stephanie Kuzydym’s article for the full story! So, should your athletes wear Guardian Caps? The most honest answer—from sports medicine experts—is: it’s complicated.

Guardian Caps are soft-shell helmet covers the NFL currently mandates in certain settings, marketed only to “reduce impact,” not prevent concussions.

Yet public perception shifted after a 2022 NFL announcement that concussions “dropped more than 50%.” As NFL Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills told The Courier-Journal:

“If you sat in our seat and we introduced something and brain injuries went down 50%, you’re not going to walk away from that… you’re going to lean into it.” He later added, “Hey, there could have been other factors,” including rules that “banned forceful helmet contact.”

Kuzydym’s reporting unpacks big nuances ATs need. The NFL data largely involve the Guardian Cap NXT (used by pros and not sold publicly), while high schools buy the XT.

“Guardian Cap does not prevent concussions, but it does reduce that impact load,” said COO Jake Hanson. Concussion expert Tamara McLeod offers a memorable frame: the brain is a yolk inside a shell—“If I put a helmet on it and shake the egg, the yolk is going to still move.”

Early field work at the high-school level is promising but limited; as researcher Erin Hammer cautions:

“This was one study done in a singular population.”

Liability and certification also matter. Some add-ons historically raised warranty and NOCSAE questions, though manufacturers have issued clarifications. Meanwhile, system-level fixes remain urgent: only 33% of U.S. high schools have a full-time Athletic Trainer. As one coach told The Courier-Journal:

If you expect a cap to “100% stop concussions, it’s not going to happen.”

Sills’ practical take? For a high-school player:

“Would I want them to wear a Guardian Cap? You bet. Absolutely.”

For a grieving Kentucky father, the calculus is human:

“Why don’t we use everything… that has the slightest opportunity to help?”

Want the full, deeply reported context and parent-ready talking points? Read Stephanie Kuzydym’s article in the Courier-Journal.