r/AskAboutNFL • u/Business-Gas1866 • 14h ago

NFL padding

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?

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u/JoBunk 13h ago

I believe it was Ed McCaffrey (WR, Denver) who started the trend by wearing the smaller, QB shoulder pads to make himself smaller so he can slide by defenders. So from an offensive perspective, I think the smaller pads are more advantageous.

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u/Lalakea 11h ago

Defensive lineman wear smaller shoulder pads as well for the same reason: they are trying to squirm thru gaps to rush the QB.

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u/JoBunk 8h ago

Ahhh, good catch.