Patriots, rest of NFL wearing cushioned helmet caps at training camp, per new mandate

FOXBORO -- It was impossible to miss one major change to training camp on Wednesday on the practice fields outside Gillette Stadium, as a large number of Patriots players were wearing cushioned pads on the outside of their helmets.

That change is more than just aesthetical, as it's part of a new initiative from the NFL to try to reduce head contact for players in the front seven on defense and the offensive line and tight ends on offense.

The cushion is called a Guardian Cap, and it's worn on the outside of a regular football helmet. Guardian says that the caps can reduce impact by up to 33 percent, with its product already being worn by more than 200 colleges and 2,000 high schools before the NFL added the requirement. The league's stated numbers were a bit lower, stating that the impact of head contact can be reduced by 20 percent if both players are wearing the padded caps.

The NFL decided back in March that Guardian Caps would be mandated for the start of training camp, with the mandate turning into a recommendation after the second preseason game, according to ESPN's Kevin Siefert.

"We know that some head contact inevitably occurs in sports of all types, but we want to focus on the part that we think is avoidable," Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL's chief medical officer, told ESPN.

The rule applies to offensive linemen, tight ends, defensive linemen, and linebackers, as the bulk of helmet-to-helmet contact has been identified in that area of the field.