NFL players wear those padded covers on their helmets mainly to reduce the force of hits to the head and cut down on concussions, especially in practices and now increasingly in games. They are called Guardian Caps and act as a soft shell layer on top of the regular hard helmet to soften collisions.

What those covers are

  • The covers are soft-shell, foam-like pads that strap over a standard helmet. Their design wraps around most of the outer shell.
  • They are branded as Guardian Caps and are used from youth football all the way up to the NFL and CFL.

Why NFL players wear them

  • The main purpose is safety: adding an extra padded layer helps absorb and disperse impact energy, lowering the force that reaches the skull and brain.
  • NFL data has linked their use to a significant drop in concussions in position groups that wear them, with league officials citing roughly a 50% reduction in some groups during trial periods.

How much they help

  • The NFL and Guardian say the caps can reduce impact severity by around 10% when one player wears one, and 20% or more when two capped players collide.
  • Guardian also promotes lab results showing impact reductions up to about one‑third in certain test conditions, though independent scientists still debate how much that translates to real‑game concussion risk.

Rules and when they’re used

  • Since 2022, the NFL has mandated the covers in training camp for high-contact positions like linemen, linebackers, and tight ends, later expanding to nearly all positions in practices.
  • In recent seasons, players have been allowed to wear team-branded versions in real games, but using them on game day is optional rather than mandatory.

Player and fan reactions

  • Some players like the added protection and say a slightly bulkier look is worth it if it helps their long-term brain health.
  • Others think the covers look odd or worry they change the game’s aesthetics, so adoption in games has been slower than in practices, even as safety pressure grows from fans, families, and the league.

TL;DR: NFL players wear those padded helmet covers (Guardian Caps) as an extra soft-shell layer to reduce impact forces and help cut down concussions, especially in high-contact drills and now optionally in games.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.