Texans Ex J.J. Watt Unconvinced By 'Beehive' Guardian Cap Helmets

Former Houston Texans J.J. Watt joined New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh in voicing their disapproval of the equipment.

Houston Texans legend and current member of the Arizona Cardinals J.J. Watt has spoken out against the use of "Guardian Caps" at training camp.

Watt joins New York Jets head coach and former Texans assistant Robert Saleh in voicing their disapproval of the equipment.

"Dear Diary, Today was the first practice of Training Camp," Watt tweeted on Wednesday. "I had a lot of fun with my friends. The only strange part was that they made me wear this beehive on my head the whole time. Other than that it was awesome. See ya tomorrow!"

The caps, which Watt later described as "a helmet for your helmet," are soft shells that cover a player's helmet. Their purpose is to minimize head trauma as players ease into training camp and must be worn by linemen, linebackers and tight ends through week two of the preseason.

"You feel like a bobblehead. Like you’re gonna fall over. I’ll probably get fined for this," Watt said on Friday.

Not only were their appearance and feel an issue for Watt, but also the fact that they're only required for a short period of time, stating: "But not in the games. So let’s keep it safe sometimes. I don’t know, whatever," Watt said.

Saleh, meanwhile, remains equally unconvinced - if slightly more politically correct in his opinion.

"I think the spirit of it all is really good,” Saleh said on Saturday.

“It’s got great benefits … but I do think there’s a balance in everything, right? Too much of anything is a bad thing. I do think because of the soft blow, it’s kind of lending the players to use their heads a little bit more. I do think the first time when they take it off—anybody who has played football knows the first time you take your helmet off or you hit with the helmet or you have a collision—there’s a shock."

"I do think that if you’re waiting until the first game for that shock to happen … I don’t know, time will tell. It’s just interesting with those Guardian Caps and what exactly are we trying to accomplish," Saleh said.

According to Guardian - the manufacturer of the caps - the use of their caps "reduces impact up to 33%," with SI reporting that "the NFL determined that the protective caps reduce the severity of impact if one player is wearing it by 10%, and by 20% if two players are wearing them."