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The Guardian cap is undergoing a visual overhaul.<\/p>\n
The NFL introduced the Guardian cap initially as a piece of practice equipment. After resisting the possibility of allowing players to wear a Guardian cap during games, the league relented.<\/p>\n
Advertisement<\/p>\n
The resistance undoubtedly came from aesthetics. The Guardian cap is big and lumpy. The fabric coverings with team logos don’t look great.<\/p>\n
That could be changing in 2026. Guardian Sports has announced that the NFL has approved the Guardian Cap NXT 2.0 for use during games.<\/p>\n
The 2.0 version<\/a><\/span> has, per Guardian Sports, “a sleeker surface that allows for advanced customization and team branding.” Decals can be applied directly to the Guardian cap.<\/p>\n Last year, 20 players wore Guardian caps during games. The small, sleeker design that ditches the need for a covering with the logo printed on it could prompt more players to decide to use it.<\/p>\n The value of the Guardian cap remains unclear. A joint NFL-NFL Players Association study from 2025 found the degree of the overall benefits to be “uncertain<\/a><\/span>.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n