Matt Rhule, the science guy

Nebraska has added the Guardian Caps to its repertoire, a choice made as coach Matt Rhule follows the science for player safety.

Nebraska players go through drills during the Huskers’ third practice of spring ball. Players noticeably donned Guardian Caps — offense in white and defense in red. (Photo by Erin Sorensen)

Thursday marked the third practice of spring ball for Nebraska, and the first that the media could view. As players took to the indoor and outdoor practice fields at the Hawks Championship Center, there was one noticeable difference from years past.

Nearly every player — even those in the green non-contact jerseys — was wearing a Guardian Cap over their helmet.

Guardian Caps — a soft-shelled helmet cover meant to reduce the risk of head injuries — have become a staple in the NFL. All linemen, linebackers and tight ends have been required to wear them for training camp since the 2022 season. It was later extended to running backs for both pre-season and regular-season contact practices. As of Monday, March 24, wide receivers and defensive backs have been added to the required list. They will be required to start wearing the caps this summer.

Jeff Miller, NFL executive vice president overseeing player health and safety, said last fall that the NFL has seen “a 52 percent decrease in concussions suffered by players at positions wearing Guardian Caps, compared to the concussion rate of players at the same positions over the last three years of training camps when Guardian Caps weren’t worn.”