Before the opening kickoff against the Baltimore Ravens at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis Colts defensive back Charvarius Ward Sr. was seen strapping an NFL-approved soft-shell Guardian Cap directly over his helmet. While most CBs rarely touch the bulky padded shell, for Charvarius Ward, doubling up on protective headgear was about survival, not style.
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Coming off a 2025 campaign that almost pushed him into retirement due to head trauma, the veteran DB walked onto the turf with every possible safety measure to protect his head. Speaking to James Boyd of The Athletic, the cornerback admitted that it was simply the fear of getting hurt again that forced him to make the equipment change.
“I was scared to get knocked out again for real. So I just put a Guardian Cap on. I don’t know if it made a difference or not. I got a headache right now, so I don’t think it’s a concussion, but uh, I mean it is what it is. It’s just football, man. You’re going to get dinged up; you’re going to get knocked around. Uh, it’s a physical game, man. Football, a dangerous game, so I mean whatever comes with it, comes with it, you know. I know what I signed up for, so uh I’m going to continue to wear it, though, for my safety.”
Most CBs avoid touching their helmets for various reasons, including avoiding added weight and additional air resistance, and also for aesthetics. In 2025, barely 20 players wore a guardian cap. For Ward, who logged 65 defensive snaps during the tough 41-23 opening week loss, recording two solo tackles, the extra padding is better than nothing, even if it is giving him headaches.
NFL testing shows Guardian Caps reduce impact force by 10 to 20 %. However, as NBC’s Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio noted, the Guardian Cap does not protect or prevent the brain from slamming against the skull when NFL athletes make abrupt stops and changes of direction while running at high speeds.
For most NFL players, a post-game headache is just routine soreness. But in the case of Ward, any kind of discomfort when it comes to the head is pretty serious, considering what happened to him just a year ago.
After signing a 3-year, $60 million contract with the Colts in 2025, he suffered his first concussion in Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins. That injury sidelined him for Week 2 and set off an alarming pattern of head injuries that derailed his season.
In Week 6, before playing the Arizona Cardinals, during routine pregame warmups, Ward suffered a full-speed collision with teammate Andrew Ogletree. The impact knocked Ward unconscious right on the field, landing him on the Colts’ IR on October 18 and forcing him to miss 4 games.
He suffered his 3rd concussion in Week 14 against the Jacksonville Jaguars that ended his season for good. Ward later revealed he suffered from severe dizziness for nearly a month, feeling completely detached from what was happening on the field and admitting he felt physically present but mentally off the globe.
Now, the CB has given himself an ultimatum as he returns to play in 2026. If he suffers even one more concussion, he will officially retire from the gridiron to protect his long-term health.