INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Colts tight end Kylen Granson has been wearing a Guardian cap over his helmet during the preseason and plans to continue doing so during the regular season to further prevent long-term brain damage.
“I used to think seat belts were stupid,” Granson said. Athletic On Thursday. “Why wouldn't I wear it? Because it just looks weird? I think health and safety is more important than aesthetics.”
After Granson's comments went viral, the fourth-year pro further explained his position in an Instagram video on Friday. Granson and hundreds of other NFL players have begun wearing the Guardian Caps, soft-shell pads that attach to helmets, after the NFL required certain position groups to wear them during practice ahead of the 2022 season.
Granson is pleased with the results so far and believes adding more brain protection is a “no brainer” now that the league is allowing players to wear them during games.
“Who knows how much more aesthetic value outweighs the impact of a TBI,” Granson said on Instagram, “and one thing people don't realize is that it's not just the big hits we have to worry about, it's the cumulative impact of the little hits.”
He likened the human brain to jelly, explaining that every time a football player takes a hit and their brain wobbles like jelly, it may not seem like a big deal in the moment, but it could have dire or even fatal repercussions later on. Granson noted that hundreds of these little brain wobbles can happen over the course of an offseason of OTAs, training camp, a three-game preseason, a 17-game regular season and even more games if the team makes the playoffs.
The 26-year-old Granson suffered a concussion in Week 6 of last year's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars and missed the next two games.
But Granson said he would still wear the Guardian cap even if he didn't suffer a concussion.The tragic stories of Pro Football Hall of Famer Junior Siau and former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, who was convicted of murder and both committed suicide and later diagnosed with CTE, serve as sobering lessons for Granson.
“I want to live forever,” Granson said. Athletic“I don't want someone to dig me up and examine my brain after I die,” he said, only half-jokingly.
Granson expanded on this on Instagram, saying he hopes to be able to remember his first dance at his wedding 30 years from now or his child's first steps. But aside from his own wishes, he also sees it as his responsibility to set an example for the millions of kids who look up to NFL players.
“I want kids to think health and safety is cool, too,” Granson said on Instagram. “You can do cool things on the football field and still wear a Guardian cap. I want my (future) kids to wear helmets when they ride their bikes…because if you walk into a hospital room and your kid is in a vegetative state because they didn't have a helmet on, it doesn't matter how cool they are. I don't want to look stupid.”
The NFL reports that since 2022, players who have worn Guardian caps in practice have seen a 50 percent reduction in concussions.
NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller told ESPN earlier this year that in addition to the Guardian Cap, “there will be a new helmet coming this year that will provide equal or greater protection than another helmet model paired with the Guardian Cap.”
Ultimately, it's a player's choice and one that's sure to be a talking point in NFL locker rooms. Some Colts players who support Granson wearing the Guardian cap are strongly opposed to them doing so themselves, for aesthetic reasons. Granson is one of at least two Indianapolis players who will wear the additional headgear anyway, as safety Rodney Thomas II said. Athletic He will also wear the Guardians cap during the regular season.
Colts running back Jonathan Taylor is arguably the most prominent NFL player to have worn the Guardian cap during the preseason, but he has not said whether he will wear one during the regular season.
Granson said on Instagram that he loves football dearly but that it's not worth putting his life and his family's at risk for fear of being ridiculed or seen as weak.
“This is bigger than me. This is bigger than just looking cool,” Granson said. “If we can do the same thing on the field and be safe at the same time, why wouldn't we want that? As fans, why wouldn't we want that? Some of our best players get to play longer and stay healthy.”
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(Photo: Jeff Moreland/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
