Even the makers of the Guardian Cap admit it looks silly. But for a sport facing an existential brain-injury crisis, once unthinkable solutions have now become almost normal.

Late in his team’s game against the Green Bay Packers on September 15, Indianapolis Colts tight end Kylen Granson caught a short pass over the middle of the field, charged forward, and lowered his body to brace for contact. The side of his helmet smacked the face mask of linebacker Quay Walker, and the back of it whacked the ground as Walker wrestled him down. Rising to his feet after the 9-yard gain, Granson tossed the football to an official and returned to the line of scrimmage for the next snap.

Aside from it being his first reception of the 2024 National Football League season, this otherwise ordinary play was only noteworthy because of what Granson was wearing at the time of the hit: a 12-ounce, foam-padded, protective helmet covering called a Guardian Cap.

Already mandatory for most positions at all NFL preseason practices, as well as regular-season and postseason practices with contact, these soft shells received another vote of confidence this year when the league greenlit them for optional game use, citing a roughly 50 percent drop in training camp concussions since their official 2022 debut. Through six weeks of action this fall, only 10 NFL players had actually taken the field with one on, according to a league spokesperson. But the decision was easy for Granson, who tried out his gameday Guardian Cap—itself covered by a 1-ounce pinnie with the Colts logo to simulate the design of the helmet underneath—in preseason games before committing to wear it for real.

    • HonkyTonkWoman
      4•1 month ago

      And here’s the 2024 NFL Rule book. Not a single mention of injuring, hurting, dismembering, beheading, concussions, bruises, broken bones, scabs, cuts, or scrapes. Whatdyaknow?

      It’s almost like the rules were written to make the sport safer, much like I’m sure there were for jousting.

      Maybe should get shitfaced. Could help you climb down off that high horse.

      • Flying Squid
        4•1 month ago

        What are you even talking about now? This was about your claim that beheading was part of jousting. It wasn’t. That’s just a lie. I’ve shown that quite clearly.

        But feel free to prove it. You can’t because it’s a lie.

        • HonkyTonkWoman
          2•1 month ago

          I compared the violence & bloodiness of jousting to the violence of football. You claim a they are comparable, I claim they are not.

          Maybe I watch too many movies when it comes to jousting, but you’ve done nothing but talk down to football fans because you don’t like the sport.

          So which sports do you approve of? Or are all them too demeaning & childish for your tastes?

          Jousting, Gladiatorial sport, wrestling, martial arts… see the connection?

          People like violence. Just because you don’t doesn’t make them wrong.

          • Flying Squid
            2•1 month ago

            This is what you said:

            No. They got off their horses & aimed to behead, or otherwise cease the existence of, their opponent.

            It was a lie.

            This is also what you said:

            Do, please educate us all on aspects of jousting that did not lead to mortal combat.

            Which I did and you didn’t even acknowledge.

            And now you’re just trying to ignore the fact that you outright lied.

            No. They got off their horses & aimed to behead, or otherwise cease the existence of, their opponent.

            • HonkyTonkWoman
              2•1 month ago

              You throw that word “Lie” around with an unfounded authority. Me telling everyone here you’re actually Herschel Walker trying explain why you’re running for office again is a lie.

              Me saying that jousting led to beheadings is not a lie. Maybe an overstatement, but not a lie. And furthermore, if you’re such a big fan of jousting, go dig up Henry VIII & lets run some comparisons of his mental state to that of a retired football player.

              Once again, I’ll point out that my comment was intended to combat your stance that football was more violent than jousting.

              If you’d like to uphold that stance, feel free.

              Ok, ok, ok, fine. I’ll admit it. You’ve win this argument. No more football, baseball, basketball, or soccer. Sharpen the hockey sticks, get out the mace, & gas up the fuckin horses.

              It’s all medieval sport from here on out America!

              • Flying Squid
                2•1 month ago

                Me saying that jousting led to beheadings is not a lie.

                That’s not what you said.

                This is what you said:

                No. They got off their horses & aimed to behead, or otherwise cease the existence of, their opponent.

                Which they didn’t.

                Then you said:

                Do, please educate us all on aspects of jousting that did not lead to mortal combat.

                Which, again, I did. I showed you all the ways to win a joust, none of which involved mortal combat. You won’t even acknowledge that you were simply wrong. Some nonsense about digging up Henry VIII won’t make you any less wrong that jousting was not about mortal combat.

                I mean it would be pretty fucking stupid to kill your own knights, or did that not occur to you?

                Ok, ok, ok, fine. I’ll admit it. You’ve win this argument. No more football, baseball, basketball, or soccer. Sharpen the hockey sticks, get out the mace, & gas up the fuckin horses.

                Now you’re lying about what I’m talking about. Do you just lie all the time?

                • HonkyTonkWoman
                  2•1 month ago

                  What’s with you calling everyone liars? I’m not lying, maybe misinformed on jousting, but you calling me a liar is lying.

                  I fact, didn’t you report me a whole bunch of times for calling you Richard?

                  Maybe you should check you civility & stop with the name calling, Richard.

                  You don’t like football. Am I lying?

                  You think football is bad dangerous. Am I lying?

                  You argued football was more dangerous than jousting. Am I lying?

                  You judge people you disagree with, bait them into arguments in the comment threads, & report them when they react negatively.

                  AM I STILL LYING?

                  Nope. I am 100% not lying about any of those statements.

                  But you’ll refute them nonetheless, because you’re a liar.