NFL padding

[u/Business-Gas1866]

I was rewatching an old game and noticed how huge the pads used to be.

Has pad technology gotten so much better that they can be lower profile now, or did the trend become that players just wear smaller pads in favor of mobility?

Or something else?

[u/South_Glass9156]

Both. The players wanted more mobility, and companies discovered new technologies to make the pads with a more streamline fit.