Pitre suffered a concussion against Denver earlier this season. When he returned to the field, he was wearing a little extra protection.
INDIANAPOLIS — You may have noticed Texans safety Jalen Pitre with a new look during Sunday’s game against Indianapolis.
Pitre was wearing what appeared to be an extra-large helmet. It was a “Guardian Cap,” a cover on top of his helmet designed to protect players from head injuries.
Pitre suffered a concussion in a Week 9 loss to Denver. The game against Indianapolis Sunday was Pitre’s first since that Denver game.
So what are Guardian Caps?
According to ESPN, a Guardian Cap is a large, soft pad worn on top of a normal helmet. It’s designed to absorb at least 10% of the force of a hit. Players are required to wear them during training camp practices, though ESPN reports that players are exempt from wearing them if they sport one of the new helmet models that provides equal or better protection.
According to GuardianSports.com, 20 players wore Guardian Caps last season.
They’ve been used in football practices since 2015, but only showed up in games in 2024.
You can read more about them in this ESPN.com article.