The NFL's offseason plans include taking a look at whether changes should be made to the league's shoulder pad requirements.
NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller said on Monday that a rise in shoulder injuries in recent seasons has led the league to examine whether there's a correlation to a trend that's seen the padding provide "less coverage" than they did in the past.
"Shoulder injuries were very high a year ago,” Miller said, via longtime NFL reporter Mark Maske. “They weren’t quite as high this year, but they were still higher than average. And so the conversation with the Competition Committee went to: Are there equipment-focused ways you can prevent some of those injuries?
Miller said he thinks there are "equipment elements to this which need to be addressed" and a consensus around the rest of the league could lead to a different look on the field in 2026.