This offseason, the NFL announced that players now had the option to wear guardian caps in games. Guardian caps are the interesting-looking head padding worn over helmets that are mandatory for players in practice who are not quarterbacks or kickers/punters. There weren't many people who believed an NFL player would take the league up on their offer, but Friday night, one did.
During their preseason matchup against the Houston Texans, Pittsburgh Steelers offensive guard James Daniels sported a Guardian cap -- which included a sleeve over the padding that featured the Steelers stripe and logo like the typical helmets have. It is believed Daniels is the first NFL player to wear a Guardian cap in a game.
Daniels was originally a second-round pick of the Chicago Bears in 2018 out of Iowa. After four seasons in Chicago, he signed a three-year deal with Pittsburgh prior to the 2022 campaign.
This spring, NFL Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills hosted a webinar with a panel that included Dawn Aponte, the league's Chief Football Administrative Officer. In this discussion, Aponte mentioned the new option to wear Guardian Caps in-game.
"We now have two years of data showing significant concussion reductions among players who wear Guardian Caps during practice so players will be permitted to wear the cap during games this upcoming season," said NFL executive vice president of health and safety Jeff Miller. "Additionally, there are new helmets this year that provide as much -- if not more -- protection than a different helmet model paired with a Guardian Cap. These developments represent substantial progress in our efforts to make the game safer for players."
While Daniels is the first to sport this extra protective measure, he's likely not the last.