Romeo Doubs on wearing Guardian Cap: “Better safe than sorry”

The wide receiver wore a Guardian Cap vs the Seahawks after missing multiple weeks with a concussion

In case you missed it, the Green Bay Packers had a big 30-13 win on Sunday Night Football over the Seattle Seahawks that saw a few names return to the lineup, including Romeo Doubs. The wide receiver missed a few weeks due to a concussion he sustained against the San Francisco 49ers on November 24. Despite being out of the lineup for a bit, Doubs didn’t skip much of a beat. He ended the game with 3 receptions for 40 yards and 2 touchdowns, one of which sealed the game for the Packers late in the 4th quarter on an incredible catch from Doubs.

While Doubs seemed like his old self, he looked a little different during the game with the addition of a Guardian Cap, likely worn as a precaution following his concussion. Guardian Caps are soft-shelled pads worn over helmets and are designed to mitigate the impact of hits and reduce the risk of concussions.

Doubs, who has never worn the cap during a game before, clarified post-game that the choice to wear one was entirely his own. “Better safe than sorry,” he said, adding that he’s not sure just yet if the Guardian Cap will be a permanent fixture for gameday. “I don’t want to make it a superstition where I have to wear it in spite of performance,” he explained.

While former and current players appear to have mixed reviews on the caps, NFL research states they can absorb 10% of the force of a hit while the Guardian Caps official website states they have reduced concussions in the NFL by 52%. Introduced into the NFL in 2020, Guardian Caps have been mandated by the league for certain positional groups at training camp practices the last few years. The 2024 season marks the first time the NFL has allowed Guardian Caps to be worn during games. As of October 27, eight players across multiple teams and positions have worn a Guardian Cap in-game this season, according to Sarah Effress of The Sporting News.

Assuming there haven’t been any new additions to that list, Romeo Doubs would be the first wide receiver in the NFL to have worn one for a regular season game. Either way, the team and the fans are thrilled to have Doubs back and healthy as the Packers make their final playoff push over the next few weeks.