A running back in the Canadian Football League has become the first player in professional football to wear a Guardian Cap in a regular season game.

Saskatchewan Roughriders running back Thomas Bertrand-Hudon wore the concussion reduction device when he checked into their game against the Montréal Alouettes on Friday, August 17.

Bertrand-Hudon’s green Guardian Cap featured the Roughriders logo on both sides and no stripe down the middle, matching the helmets his teammates were wearing.

The 12-ounce soft shell helmet covers were developed by Guardian Sports in 2010 to reduce impacts and resulting concussions. The company says the cover’s soft outer material has the “proper density, stiffness and energy absorbing properties [to reduce] the initial severity of the impact.” The company claims the covers reduce the force of impact to the head by 33%.

Both the CFL and the National Football League passed resolutions this season allowing players to wear Guardian Caps in games. At least five Indianapolis Colts players wore the caps in their preseason game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, August 11.

The NFL has made Guardian Caps mandatory in preseason practice for players in almost every position since 2022.