Chris Olave wears a Guardian Cap for Saints-Steelers game in Paris
Olave is trending after wearing a bulkier Guardian Cap for Sunday's Saints-Steelers game in France, a move tied to his long run of head injuries.
Why Chris Olave is trending
Chris Olave is trending because the New Orleans Saints wide receiver is wearing a Guardian Cap, the bulky protective shell that fits over a regulation helmet, for Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The game is the NFL's first ever played in France, and the Paris setting put a spotlight on Olave and teammate Germie Bernard, who both wear the extra covering.
A Guardian Cap is a soft shell that goes over the helmet and softens the force of a hit before it reaches the skull and brain. It is not a new helmet, just an added layer, and it gives players a noticeably bulkier look on the field. Not many NFL players wear one yet, which is part of why it stands out on two of New Orleans' top receivers.
Olave's long history with head injuries
Olave's concussion history goes back to his college days at Ohio State, where he had his first recorded concussion in 2020. He suffered his first concussion in the NFL with the Saints in 2022, then another in 2023 that he came back from the following week.
In 2024, Olave was concussed on Oct. 13 and again on Nov. 3. After the November hit he had to be taken off the field on a backboard, a scary scene that he has said pushed him to consider retirement at the time, despite being only 24 years old.
Olave has explained that history is exactly why he started wearing the Guardian Cap this season. "I know all the head injuries I've had in my career, so it was just a decision I had made," he said before Week 2. He has also said he wants to live a normal life with his kids once his football career is over, and that he no longer cares how the bulkier cap looks.
Why the change now
The push toward Guardian Caps across the NFL has grown in recent years as the league and players confront the long-term risks of CTE. The cap does not replace the helmet, it sits on top of it, and the idea is simply to cut down the force of repeated hits over a career. Olave, still just 24, is one of the more visible examples of a young player who decided the look was worth the added protection after a run of concussions that included a backboard exit from the field.
What's next
The Saints and Steelers play Sunday in Paris in Week 7, the first regular season NFL game held in France. Olave and Bernard are both expected to wear their Guardian Caps for that game, part of a trend that has shown up on more NFL sidelines in recent seasons as more players look for any added layer of protection.
Facts per Heavy.com. Opinion is the taproom's.