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The NFL announced Friday that it will be allowing players to wear soft-shell helmet covers during games next season.
The soft-shell helmet covers are called “Guardian caps,” according to the Associated Press.
The covers have been used during practices with defensive backs and receivers are now required to wear them during all practices that require contact, the AP reported.
“There is the option for a player to wear it in a game if he so chooses,” Dawn Aponte, the NFL’s chief football administration officer, said, according to The Athletic. The hope is that the extra protective gear would lead to less head injuries.
“We’ve got two years of data now showing significant concussion reductions in those players that wear Guardian Caps in the NFL,” Dr. Allen Sills, the league’s chief medical officer, said in a webinar discussion recently, according to the AP.
NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller said that the Guardian caps have led to around half of the number of concussions in position groups that wore them, according to ESPN.
“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,” Miller said, according to ESPN.
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