If you watch football games in general, you can tell that not all players wear a full set of pads. The most likely culprits are players at skill positions, such as defensive backs, as the pads can somewhat limit movement. Not only that, but they're quite frankly not comfortable. NFL owners could pass a vote however to make full pads mandatory, according to a report by Alex Marvez.
Some NFL players have resisted wearing a complete set of pads for reasons ranging from comfort to vanity.
That decision might not be an option for long.
NFL owners are planning to vote Tuesday on a proposal that would make hip, thigh and knee pads mandatory for all players during games starting with the 2013 season.
The reasoning comes down to preventing injuries as a hole. As Marvez points out, there are some players who don't wear thigh pads and suffer quadriceps injuries, etc. All of these players who wear less pads in certain areas likely know the risk they are taking, but a focus has been put on player safety.