Saskatchewan Roughriders RB Thomas Bertrand-Hudon 1st pro player to wear guardian cap during regular season game

The Saskatchewan Roughriders may have lost their game against the Montreal Alouettes (27-24) Friday night at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, but they still made history.

Roughriders running back Thomas Bertrand-Hudon became the first ever professional football player to wear a guardian cap during a regular season game.

Quebec native Bertrand-Hudon (Delaware State) was selected in the fourth round of the 2023 CFL Draft and is in his second year with Saskatchewan.

This is the second year of the guardian cap implementation in the CFL but this is the first year that the players have had the option to wear it in game.

The CFL implemented the option to wear guardian caps during regular-season games this year after mandating the use of the soft-shell helmet during training camp and during all contact practices during the season.

The NFL allowed the use of guardian caps during regular season games this year. A number of players have opted to use the protective shell during the preseason including Indianapolis running back Jonathan Taylor.

According to NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller, guardian caps have helped achieve a significant reduction in concussions for the position groups that wore them during training camps in 2022 and 2023.