From changing its helmet rule to altering the way roughing-the-passer calls are made, the NFL has done a lot to make the game safer in the hope of reducing the number of concussions its players suffer.
But the players themselves aren’t doing as much as they can to protect themselves as many of them now wear less padding than ever before on the field in order to improve their performance.
According to a New York Times piece, many players feel the less padding they wear, the more intimidating they appear and the more success they will have.
Excess padding also can slow players down on the field and, in a game of inches, every second counts.
For wide receivers and defensive backs, who make their living based on being quick and agile, this is even truer.
“For a receiver, it’s about speed downfield and getting in and out of small gaps between the defenders as fast as you can,” said Baltimore Ravens receiver Willie Snead. “If you’re weighed down by padding, you’re not necessarily safer at all. You’d be slower and probably get hit more. Right now, a good receiver doesn’t have to get hit that much. The only time you really get hit is when you’re getting tackled.”
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