Indianapolis Colts tight end Kylen Gransonand safety Rodney Thomas said on Thursday that they plan to wear Guardian caps during the regular season.
Granson suffered a concussion last season, but he told The Athletic that he would have made the decision to wear a Guardian cap regardless of his injury history. Thomas also confirmed his plans to The Athletic.
"At one point people thought seatbelts were f------- stupid," Granson said.
The NFL announced this offseason that players would be permitted to wear the caps during the 2024 season in the league's effort to increase player health and safety with a fcous on preventing head injuries.
Granson and Thomas were among a number of Colts players -- including star running back Jonathan Taylor -- who wore Guardian caps during the preseason. It is unclear Taylor's plans for regular-season games.
This year the NFL mandated that all positions, excluding quarterbacks and specialists, had to wear Guardian caps during practices. Players also have 12 new helmets -- including eight that are made specifically for linemen and quarterbacks -- to choose from next season. Six of the new helmets, though, are exempt from mandatory Guardian cap usage due to the protection they provide, per the league.
The league said when the Guardian caps debuted in 2022 that they can reduce the force from head contact by 10% if one player is wearing it, and 20% if all players involved are wearing them.
