Michael Bennett’s tiny shoulder pads are meant for a kicker

Michael Bennett, at 6’4 and 274 pounds, is a large defensive end. But he’s not so big regular football shoulder pads can’t cover his massive arms.

Instead, the Pro Bowl lineman cultivates his unique look with a special touch of his own; pads typically worn by Seattle’s kickers. Bennett talked to SB Nation about his unusual shoulder pad choice, revealing that they help him perfect his hand technique as a pass rusher.

The kicker pads are a minimalist take on the bulky equipment most defensive linemen wear. They lack the hard plastic shell that fill out the jerseys of most high-impact players. Instead, they’re made of open-cell foam that adds a modest layer of protection but also allows for a free range of motion and movement.

That means there’s no hard barrier restricting Bennett from reaching over his head to swat down passes, tearing off blockers, or extending to grab quarterbacks in the pocket. While it comes with its own risk — the added flexibility comes with a loss of protection for the DE’s shoulders — the gamble has paid off so far. The big lineman didn’t miss a single game from 2012 to 2015.

Bennett’s svelte look is just the latest example of the NFL’s trend away from big, bulky shoulder pads. According to the New York Times, these pads have trimmed about 50 percent of their excess weight over the past 10 to 15 years. If the Seahawks defender’s minimalist design catches on, he’ll be responsible for taking the pattern even deeper.