Texans Star Jalen Pitre Was Spotted Using “Banned” Substance While Wearing His Guardian Cap vs. Cardinals [VIDEO]

This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.

Jalen Pitre was one of the few starters on the Texans who sported a Guardian cap. The NFL’s Guardian Cap is a soft-shell helmet cover that adds cushioning. It is supposed to reduce the force of impacts to cut down on concussions.

The Houston Texans’ safety suffered a concussion in Week 9 against the Broncos. He would miss two games as a result. Pitre has since cleared concussion protocol and returned to play in Week 13. He came back sporting a Guardian Cap for extra protection.

Pitre is the same player who decleated Rashee Rice earlier this month.

He had on that Guardian Cap on Sunday when he lined up against the Cardinals. That wasn’t all he was sporting on that day inside NRG Stadium.

Jalen Pitre Uses Smelling Salt On the Field

Footage from the game shows Jalen Pitre getting set to cover a WR on the field. You could see something in his hand as he walked to his left to line up. Pitre put it up to his nose, sniffed it, then threw it to the ground. It was smelling salt.

The Smelling Salt/Guardian Cap combo is crazy
pic.twitter.com/FrpVi4FxAg

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) December 16, 2025

That is actually a banned substance. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was caught using it during a road loss to the Houston Texans.

The NFL banned teams from providing smelling salts, citing a player-safety issue. Thus, players like Jalen Pitre are still allowed to use smelling salts. However, they must provide their own supply.

It was a reason for the rule. The NFL’s policy followed an FDA warning about the safety and efficacy of ammonia inhalants.

In the game against the Cardinals, Pitre had four tackles combined.