Jabrill Peppers is among the veterans adopting the extra layer of protection on game day. The NFL approved Guardian Caps for games in 2024 after data showed they cut practice concussions by nearly 50%. The New England Patriots released Peppers on August 29, 2025.  But he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, in September, after DeShon Elliott’s MCL sprain left them thin at safety after the Steel City moved after starter DeShon Elliott went down with an MCL sprain, thinning their safety depth.  

“I started wearing it the year they allowed us to wear it in a gang. I didn’t notice that it was on my head when running and hitting, and I rarely felt anything. After some games, when you’re banging a lot, you get a little bit of a headache at the end of the game. Ever since I started wearing it, there’s been none of that. For me. It’s a no-brainer,” Pepper said.

For Jabrill Peppers, the decision changes little in terms of mobility but alters the durability of his physical style. The padding limits minor head impacts, allowing him to play aggressively through the entire game. Without headaches, he hits at full speed all game, boosting the Steelers’ run support and blitz aggression.

He ranks fourth among NFL safeties with a 90.1 grade over the last two seasons. Across 99 career games, Peppers has stacked up 511 tackles, seven interceptions, 5.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, and seven recoveries. A former first-rounder out of Michigan, taken 25th overall by the Browns in 2017, he’s built a reputation as a tone-setter in the secondary.

For Seattle, the ripple effects land squarely on Sam Darnold. Peppers’ downhill hits wipe out those “easy” four- and five-yard runs, forcing the Seahawks into tougher second- or third-and-long spots. And when Darnold is under pressure, the results dip fast — he completed just 55% of his passes last season in those situations. If Peppers times his blitzes cleanly, Darnold could be hurried into bad throws or forced off his reads. Or that was the pre-game notion… Now, after the game it’s changed a lot.

Sam Darnold moved the chains

Sam Darnold’s first win as a Seahawk wasn’t the smoothest, but it was one that showed his resilience. Despite Seattle dominating much of the first half in Pittsburgh, two interceptions had them trailing at the break. Coming out of the locker room, though, Darnold quickly reset the tone. “I just told myself, you’ve got to flush it and move on,” he said postgame. “We were still right there, and I knew if I did my job, we’d have a chance to win.”

From that point forward, he delivered. Darnold opened the third quarter with a touchdown drive to tie the game and later pulled off two highlight plays that sealed the win. He spun away from pressure in the fourth and hit AJ Barner to keep a drive alive, then launched a 43-yard dart to Jaxon Smith-Njigba to set up Kenneth Walker III’s touchdown. “Those are the moments you play for as a quarterback,” Darnold explained. “Trusting the guys around me, staying calm in the pocket — that’s what it came down to.”

The final stat line told a story of both mistakes and growth: 22-of-33, 295 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions, good for an 89.8 passer rating. Darnold wasn’t shying away from the flaws. “There’s still a lot of work to do,” he admitted to Fox Sports’ Kristina Pink. “We left plays out there, but getting that first win with this group means a lot.” Next up is a home matchup with the Saints, where he’ll try to turn flashes of composure into a consistent rhythm.