What Is That Thing On Dalton Kincaid’s Neck?

Have you seen the band that Dalton Kincaid wears on his neck these days?  We were all asking the question last weekend and no one seems to know what it is.

It was a topic of conversation in our house last weekend as we watched the Bills demolish the Jets on Sunday.  What is that thing that Dalton Kincaid is wearing around his neck?  It looks like one of those slap bracelets that kids used to wear in the 90s. Is it a neck brace?  Maybe it's something to transmit sound like headphones?  Is it there to keep him cool?  What the heck is it?

It appears to be a band about an inch or so thick that goes around his neck.  It doesn't close in the front though and he's only started wearing it the past couple of weeks.  So what is it?  And why does he wear it?

It looks like this:

It's called a Q-Collar

According to a post from @BangedUpBills, it's called a Q-Collar.

It's an FDA-approved collar that is actually meant to protect the brain.

How does a Q-Collar work?

According to their Twitter page, the collar helps by slightly pressing on the jugular vein.  That will create a slight increase in blood volume to the head.  The increased blood helps to minimize movement of the brain upon impact.  They describe it as "bubble wrap for your brain."

Why does Kincaid wear one?

Following the game in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Kincaid was diagnosed with a concussion which kept him out of the following week's game.  He has worn the Q-collar ever since and he's not the only one.  You may notice one on the neck of James Cook and Taylor Rapp too. There are a bunch of athletes that wear them from the NFL to lacrosse and everything in between.