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    • NFL: Miami Dolphins’ Achane on Guardian helmet cap: ‘Looks regular’
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    NFL: Miami Dolphins’ Achane on Guardian helmet cap: ‘Looks regular’

    Pabio Posted on

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    Miami Dolphins go back De’Von Achane said to wear a Goalkeeper helmet It’s not a big deal and he’ll continue to do so after suffering a concussion earlier this season.

    “I feel like it’s good. People always ask me how it feels. I feel like it’s regular,” said Achane, who has become the first dolphin to wear a Guardian helmet during a regular season game when Miami played at Indianapolis on October 20.

    “We train with a Guardian cap, so I feel like it’s no big deal,” he added. “Sometimes I don’t feel like it’s there until people tell me about it, so it’s just regular.”

    More: Miami Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa Always Takes Risks (So Embrace It) | Habib

    What is a Guardian helmet?

    This season, Goalkeeper capswere allowed to participate in NFL regular season games for the first time. These caps are covers comprising a layer of soft foam placed over a regular football helmet.

    NFL Players Who Wear Guardian Caps

    NFL players wore caps developed by Goalkeeper Sports during training camp. Two weeks into the regular season, only six players had worn them in a game. Midway through the 2024 season, a few others joined them, including Bucs right tackle Luke Goedeke. Some players wore them for a game or two.

    Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen wore one against the Colts in Week 5 after suffering a concussion the week before. He said he forgot he was wearing it until he watched the scoreboard video and saw himself.

    More: Miami Dolphins NFL Playoff Race: Third Easiest Schedule Remaining Should Make Effort Easier

    One of the downsides of specialty helmets is that they are heavier and could potentially slow down ball carriers and receivers. However, wearing one certainly hasn’t slowed down the Dolphins’ second-year running back. Achane has totaled 457 yards and two touchdowns this season, along with 42 receptions for 317 yards and three more scores.

    “Obviously the helmet is lighter without it, but I feel like it’s safer for me when I put it on,” he said.

    Miami Dolphins Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa decides not to wear Guardian helmet

    One of Achane’s teammates, quarterback Tua Tagovailoadecided not to wear the Guardian helmet even after suffering its third concussion in September. Moreover, no other dolphin wears them.

    “It’s a personal choice,” Tagovailoa said upon returning from injured reserve last month.

    Of course, almost every Dolphins fan grimaced Monday night when Tua attempted to tackle Los Angeles Rams linebacker Christian Rozeboom after his second-quarter interception and took a knee to the helmet.

    “I don’t think he was stubbornly neglecting his body,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said when asked about his quarterback’s action after his pick against Los Angeles.

    The Rams had a player wearing a Guardian helmet and Achane was asked if he ever spoke to other players wearing specialized helmets.

    “I never had a conversation with anyone else,” he said. “I’m pretty sure they have the same reasons as me.”

    More: Miami Dolphins waive team captain LB David Long Jr.

    More: Miami Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel on DeShon Elliott’s tear: ‘I’m just worried about this year’s team’

    Post writers Joe Schad and Hal Habib contributed to this report.

    Pabio
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