INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Colts tight end Kylon Granson wore a Guardian cap over his helmet during the preseason and plans to continue doing so during the regular season to help protect his brain from long-term damage.
“At some point people thought seat belts were stupid,” Granson said. work out On Thursday. “Why (wouldn’t you wear it?) Because it just looks stupid? I think health and safety are more important than aesthetics.”
After Granson’s comments went viral, the fourth-year pro further elaborated on his stance in an Instagram video on Friday. Granson and hundreds of other NFL players began wearing Guardian caps, soft-shell pads that attach to their helmets, when the NFL mandated that certain position groups wear them at practice ahead of the 2022 season.
He’s pleased with the results so far, and now that the league allows players to wear helmets in games, Granson feels it’s “natural” to further protect his brain.
“There is no greater aesthetic than what a TBI (traumatic brain injury) can do to you,” Granson said via Instagram. “And one of the lesser known things is that it’s not just the big hits that you have to worry about, it’s the culmination of many smaller hits.”
He likened someone’s brain to Jell-O, explaining that whenever a football player gets hit and their brain shakes like Jell-O, it may not seem like much in the moment, but it can have devastating or even fatal effects later on. Granson also noted that these little brain shakes can happen hundreds of times during the offseason OTAs and 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 against the Jacksonville Jaguars last year and missed the next two games.
But Granson said he would wear the Guardian cap even if he hadn’t suffered a concussion. The tragic stories of Pro Football Hall of Famer Junior So and former New England Patriots tight end and convicted murderer Aaron Hernandez, both of whom committed suicide and were later diagnosed with CTE, serve as a sobering warning to Granson.
“I want to live forever,” Granson said. work outHalf-jokingly, “I don’t want anyone digging me up and examining my brain after I’m gone.”
Granson went into more detail on Instagram, saying he wants to remember his first dance at his upcoming wedding and his baby’s first steps “30 years from now.” But regardless of his own desires, he feels it’s his responsibility to set an example for the millions of kids who look up to NFL players.
“I want to inspire kids to think that health and safety are cool,” Granson said on Instagram. “You can do cool things on the football field and wear a Guardian cap. I want (future) kids to wear a helmet when they ride their bikes. … No matter how cool it is, if you go into the hospital and your kid is in a vegetative state because they didn’t have a helmet on, I can’t accept that. I don’t want to look stupid.”
According to an NFL report, players who wear Guardian caps during practice have had a 50% reduction in concussions since 2022.
NFL vice president of athletics Jeff Miller told ESPN earlier this year that in addition to the Guardian Caps, “we have a new helmet coming out this year that we believe will provide equal or greater protection than other helmet models with the Guardian Cap.”
Ultimately, it’s still a player’s choice, and it’s certainly a topic of discussion in NFL locker rooms. Some Colts players who support Granson wearing the Guardian cap are vehemently opposed to wearing it themselves because of how it looks. Granson is one of at least two Indianapolis players who will absolutely wear the additional headgear, as safety Rodney Thomas Jr. said. work out He plans to wear the Guardian cap during the regular season as well.
Colts running back Jonathan Taylor is arguably the most notable NFL player to wear a Guardian cap during the preseason, but he hasn’t said for sure whether he’ll wear it during the regular season.
Granson said on Instagram that while he loves football with all his heart, it’s not worth putting his life or the lives of his family at risk for fear of being ridiculed or perceived as weak.
“It’s bigger than me. It’s more than just looking good,” Granson said. “And if I can do the same thing on the field and be safe at the same time, why wouldn’t I want that? As a fan, why wouldn’t I want that? Some of your best players can play longer and stay healthy.”
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(Photo: Jeff Moreland / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
