The NFL is once again updating its rules to address player safety concerns, allowing athletes to use Guardian Caps, which it claims provide better protection against head injuries.
The new helmets have led to a nearly 50 percent decrease in concussions, based on data collected in training camps over the past two years. Certain position groups were given the helmets in both 2022 and 2023, and the padded headgear made a major difference, according to NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller.
Miller explained the new ruling in a statement to ESPN , as he said: "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.
"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."
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Although the helmets look abnormal compared to regular designs, they will be customized to display team logos. For players who don't wish to wear the new headgear, the NFL has compiled a list of six new helmet models that offer increased protection.
Due to fears over the long-lasting effects of concussions, the NFL has slowly adjusted its policies after initially downplaying head trauma concerns. In 1996, the NFL first banned helmet-to-helmet hits initiated by defenders, although the rules have become a lot stricter in the present day.
According to the official NFL rulebook, it is now a foul if a player either lowers his head and makes forcible contact with his helmet against an opponent or uses any part of his helmet or facemask to butt or make forcible contact with an opponent’s head or neck area. Accidental contact is reviewed and considered.
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There have been multiple instances where players have expressed concerns over developing Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive degenerative disease affecting people who have suffered repeated concussions and traumatic brain injuries. Earlier this month, former NFL cornerback Vontae Davis was found dead in his South Florida home, with his ex-wife suspecting he had CTE .
The 35-year-old was found unresponsive on the floor of his home gym and a call to 911 was made by his personal assistant. His ex-wife, Megan Harpe, wrote in a text message to the Daily Mail : "Yes he had CTE … there is definitely a story here," but refused to provide further comment.
Vontae's brother Vernon, who also played in the NFL, was also torn when being asked about Harpe's suggestion. "Maybe that's the case, maybe it's not. We don't really have an answer to that because there is no way to see into our brain while we live." CTE can only be diagnosed once a person is deceased, with the brain tissue needing to be examined.
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