Revisiting The Use Lower Body Pads
With four Packers wide receivers sustaining knee contusions during the past couple weeks, should they be wearing knee pads?
Seeing as I personally questioned NFL commissioner Roger Goodell about the use of lower body pads in the NFL, I think it's only appropriate to revisit the issue seeing as four Green Bay Packers wide receivers have missed time with knee contusions over the past week.
Both Greg Jennings and Randall Cobb missed this past Friday's preseason game with knee bruises, Jordy Nelson suffered a bruised knee of his own during the game, and James Jones pulled out of yesterday's training camp practice with yet another knee bruise.
While all four have missed practice time at varying points, none of the injuries appear to be too serious. Jennings and Cobb returned to action yesterday after missing time last week.
A little over a year ago reporter Michael McCarthy wrote an article in USA Today that the NFL was thinking of making lower body pads such as hip, knee and thigh pads mandatory for the 2011 season.
That doesn't appear to be the case. After viewing pictures and video from the preseason, none of Jennings, Cobb, Nelson or Jones appeared to be wearing knee pads during game action.
But should it be mandatory? Many players on the perimeter of the action in the NFL forego lower body pads for the sake of more speed and mobility.
I asked Commissioner Goodell in a press conference following the Packers' shareholders meeting last year what the research (if any) said about the use of lower body pads in preventing injuries.
"I’m having a hard time understanding why you need research to say that padding is going to protect you, that padding is not going to make you safer," Goodell replied. "Players have worn those pads for several years, and we’re seeing it being worn less and less, at certain positions in particular. I think it’s a balance between performance and safety. A lot of times people want to perform at the best level. We would like to be able to say, 'We want you to perform at a high level, but we want you to do it safely.'"
I might point out that my question, as it was posed, wasn't answered. It's possible that there wasn't any empirical research, or Goodell couldn't reliably cite any research off the top of his head if there was.
So could it just be coincidence or a string of bad luck that led to four Packers sustaining knee contusions in such a short span of time? Or is it a problem that could have been prevented with the use of knee pads?
As a former defensive back who needed every edge he could get, I support the choice of the individual player whether or not to wear lower body pads. I personally don't think major injuries occur due to players not wearing them, especially among those not in the trenches.
But I can see how this recent rash of injuries would seem to support the commissioner's point of view.
Whether lower body pads will become mandatory, only time will tell. And it's worth watching whether the Packers wide receivers will voluntarily adopt the use of knee pads in the interim.
Comments (14)
August 29, 2011 at 10:04 am
"I might point out that my question, as it was posed, wasn't answered."
Goodell is GREAT at that.
August 29, 2011 at 10:14 am
When does Rog announce his candidacy for public office??
August 29, 2011 at 12:15 pm
They sacrifice knee pads for more SPEED and PERFORMANCE!Really?
How heavy/bulky are these pads?
Are they running a second slower or a tenth of a second slower?
Football is a macho sport and thats what they are showing, but I don't buy that losing speed or performance for a second or a tenth of one.
The equipment today isn't like it was back when players looked like Transformers.
Brian Carriveau
August 29, 2011 at 12:20 pm
I think the hundreds of players that don't wear lower body pads are "buying it," for what it's worth.
August 29, 2011 at 12:52 pm
Our guys don't seem to be getting their moneys worth from their purchase.
August 31, 2011 at 06:42 pm
Exactly. All of this talk about safety, players should be required to wear them.
August 29, 2011 at 12:26 pm
As a former pee-wee DL guy, my mom made me stuff rolls of Charmin under my uniform to make sure that I didn't get a bruise. No really, everyone wore them when I played, and if everybody's on a level playing field, and everyone is a little better protected, I think that fits in with what the NFL is trying to do from a safety standpoint.
August 29, 2011 at 05:32 pm
Don't know about pads but the Packers should make Finley (two knee injuries and a sprained ankle)encase his entire lower body in Kevlar.
August 29, 2011 at 06:11 pm
Former defensive back? Nice!!!
August 31, 2011 at 04:15 pm
Once a DB, always a DB!
August 30, 2011 at 12:17 am
FINALLY a journalist is asking this very important question! I've been trying to get the answer to this for over a year now. When did players stop wearing knee pads and how dumb is that?! Nelson bruised his knee vs Indy by simply falling out of bounds by himself...no reason for this! I believe there is a "knee bruise epidemic" in the NFL that needs to be addressed by the commish, owners, and coaches because the players are too dumb to put them on...not "cool" enough is a lame excuse. I have worked on the sidelines of NFL games for NFL FILMS and I can tell you that the surface of turf is HARD, with little give. I hope that you Brian keep asking and probing for answers about this very serious issue. Thanks for firing the first shot across the field!
August 30, 2011 at 07:50 am
you'd think there could be a technology solution that would be a happy middle-ground. something under-armorish that could be sewn into the pants and give a little extra help.
August 30, 2011 at 08:54 am
NFL players have made dumb safety choices for years just for the sake of "looking cool" or being a little more comfortable. Helmets are a great example - there are a few new models that have been designed to reduce the risk of concussion yet are not commonly used by players because they don't like how they look (and we're not talking the Steve Tasker extra pad on the head kind of funny looking). In addition, the fact that most players choose a helmet sized to let them slip it on easily rather than fit properly, despite the higher risk of concussion from doing so, is another sign that they can't be bothered to look out for their own health and well being.
Making players wear knee pads is not just smart from the standpoint of avoiding knee bruises, it also would help prevent the additional bumps and bruises caused by getting a knee to the ribs or thigh. There are multiple styles of compression shorts that have integrated knee pads and thigh pads that barely limit movement. And I'm sure if the NFL required knee and thigh protection the number of options should skyrocket.
NFL teams invest way too much money in their players for the commissioner not to enforce reasonable minimum protection requirements that protect that investment and players make way too much money to complain about any of them.
August 30, 2011 at 09:25 pm
tackling is the problem, once that is eliminated so shall the bruise