What Are NFL Players Wearing Around Their Necks? 

Anwar Stetson

Anwar Stetson

Los Angeles Rams tight end Colby Parkinson wears a Q-Collar before an NFL game in the 2025-26 season. Instagram: @colbyparkinson

Like many fans across the country, you may have spent much of your 2026 so far watching the NFL and College Football playoffs. On Saturday, the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Carolina Panthers after Rams quarterback Matt Stafford threw a late touchdown to Colby Parkinson. While Parkinson celebrated with teammates, you may have noticed a strange device wrapped around his neck: the Q-Collar. 

Q-Collar carries the distinction of being the first and only piece of equipment cleared by the FDA to help protect the brain in sports with repetitive head impacts. But how does a collar around your neck…. protect your head? 

How it Works

A Q-Collar, a device designed to help protect athletes from traumatic brain injury (TBI). The collar puts a small amount of pressure on an athlete’s jugular veins. The small amount of pressure causes more blood to remain in the head which provides more of a cushion for the brain. © Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

Q-Collar works by applying light pressure to the neck to slightly increase blood volume in the skull and reduce the movement of the brain during impacts. Dr. David Smith came up with the idea for Q-Collar after noticing how woodpeckers are able to violently peck wood in nature with their necks. Research company Q-30 Innovations developed Smith’s concept, and after 14 years years of research and engineering, it was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2021.

Colby Parkinson (84) reacts with wide receiver Puka Nacua (12) after making the game-winning touchdown catch against the Carolina Panthers in the 2026 NFC Wild Card Round game. Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Though no current technology has been proven to prevent concussions, experts have said that the Q-collar can make a positive impact. University of Cincinnati Professor Tom Talavage was a consultant on Q30’s research team, telling the Washington Post in 2023 that “We can’t make the argument that the collar prevents concussions, but it might take longer or be less likely if you use it,” he said. 

Dr. David Smith, inventor of the Q-Collar. Courtesy: Drdavidsmithmd.com

By The Numbers

According to Q30 innovations, athletes wearing a Q-Collar saw a 66% reduction in the likelihood of brain damage compared to the control over a season of play and reportedly found no “adverse events from more than 45,000 active users.” Used by both pro and youth athletes, the Q-Collar is another layer of protection for athletes not only in collision sports like football, but also in sports like soccer and snowboarding.

Soccer player wearing a Q-Collar before heading a ball. Courtesy: Q-Collar
Courtesy: Q-Collar

Price and Where to Buy

Q-Collar currently retails on its website for $199. For an additional $19.99, you can buy a sleeve to match the collar with the color of your uniform. HERE’S WHERE TO BUY