More and more players in the NFL have begun wearing protective caps to provide further protection from blows to the head. But on the week 7 edition of the alternative ManningCast stream from Monday Night Football between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Baltimore Ravens, Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed expressed skepticism about how well the helmets actually protect the players.

The conversation was sparked during Reed's cameo in the fourth quarter when he noticed Buccaneers offensive lineman Luke Goedeke was wearing the Guardian cap.

“Peyton, they have your helmet out there,” Reed joked. “Did they make it into an insect helmet? This is the new thing, right?”

“That’s the protective cap,” Peyton Reed explained. “Most guys wear it in training. But you can wear it in the game if you want for safety reasons.”

“How much security is that?” Reed asked.

“It’s an extra layer of protection,” Manning added. “As I said, all players wear them during training during training camp. And then the players can wear them during the game if they want. It's another layer of protection. So that makes sense to me.”

Apparently Manning tried his best to change the subject after explaining the purpose of the helmet. But Reed had other plans and continued to rant about why the helmet doesn't help prevent head injuries.

“Do you really think the protection goes beyond the carbon fiber on the helmet? When a boxer knocks someone out, they usually hit them in the jaw with their fist. It only hit him in the top of his head. He is met here. If someone falls unconscious, their neck breaks. It will shock and nerve and make her deaf. It won't just come from the frontal lobe. This is due to head movement due to lack of muscle strength in the neck. Or the weakness of it that occurs over time.”

Ed Reed discusses the Guardian Caps and questions their effectiveness.

Meanwhile, Peyton and Eli Manning remained mostly silent (after Peyton's initial statement about it) before Peyton changed the subject again #MNF Game action. #ManningCast #NFL pic.twitter.com/SMX2ZpWOix

– Awful Announcement (@awfulanncreasing) October 22, 2024

Remember, the game continued throughout Reed's tirade. In fact, the Buccaneers had actually scored while Reed was talking about the helmets and why he thought they weren't working, so Peyton and Eli couldn't even talk about the scoring game.

Peyton then continued to try to change the subject, joking with Reed about the Ravens giving up the touchdown.

“Ed, your Ravens are giving up a few easy touchdowns,” Peyton said.

You only had to look at Eli and Peyton's faces as Reed spoke to see that they clearly wanted Reed to stop talking about the Guardian caps.

It is certainly justified to question the effectiveness of the helmets. But doing so in such a rambling manner while a touchdown is actively being scored in the background certainly made for an incredibly frustrating viewing experience for fans at home.

That was so awkward. https://t.co/T4e3M4sN5p

— John LaGrace (@jlagrace10) October 22, 2024

Peyton was visibly uncomfortable with Reed's rant against the Guardian Cap. https://t.co/SaAdYPwl3R

– Ken Fang – Very Asian (@fangsbites) October 22, 2024

(Terrible announcement on X)