Why do NFL players wear arm sleeves and towels? Chiefs players explain football fashion

Football players are intentional with the accessories they wear on the field, whether for climate, superstition or routine.

Some Kansas City Chiefs players, like star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, have been donning the same athletic wear to take down opponents since college, and some even before that.

In a 2018 interview with Arrowhead Addict, Mahomes said he’s been wearing an arm sleeve on his throwing arm in every game he’s started since his junior year of high school.

“That’s pretty much the only superstitious thing I do,” Mahomes said at the time. A new Mahomes superstition took center stage last season after he told NFL greats Peyton and Eli Manning that he wore the same red underwear every game.

Mahomes also wears a WHOOP device on his non-throwing arm; the device tracks the quarterback’s body recovery throughout his training and season.

Staying warm, protected

For other Chiefs, some of their on-field swag is less about superstition and more about embracing the weather conditions.

Offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor came to the Chiefs last season to play for the first team outside of his home state of Florida. He used to wear one arm sleeve as a right tackle for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The colder Midwest climate encouraged him to wear long sleeves on both arms and long tights on his legs.

“Man, I gotta start wearing sleeves to stay warm, being a Florida dude,” Taylor said. He has slowly adapted to the cold by walking outside his home without a jacket and going through walk-throughs without sleeves.

Some offensive lines have traditions of refusing to wear protective weather gear in the cold, but that is not the case in Kansas City.

Taylor always ends up wearing long sleeves on cold game days.

Safety Justin Reid likes to wear long sleeves only if the weather is so cold that he feels he must. Reid periodically switches between different arm accessories: black elbow pads, taped wrists, and white arm-long turf tape, which has become popular across the sport.

Defensive backs and wide receivers can be known at times for flashy accessories to go with their flashy play-making abilities.

But Reid only likes to wear turf tape if he’s playing on the artificial surface to avoid turf burns and scrapes, which means the least amount of accessories at Arrowhead Stadium.

“When I was younger, I used to wear arm bands,” Reid said. “But now I just like the old school look of keeping it more simple. I think that it’s a little more gritty.”

Wide receiver Hollywood Brown and defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi keep their styles simple as well.

Although Brown has only played in two games since he returned from injury, he hasn’t worn arm sleeves like he used to with his previous teams, the Baltimore Ravens and Arizona Cardinals.

“It really depends if I want to wear something on my arms or not. Kind of don’t like wearing nothing on my arms,” Brown, who also tapes his wrists, said.

Gloves, socks and towels

Offensive and defensive linemen are usually known for having the least amount of accessories as they battle in the trenches.

Nnadi usually sports sleeves that come down just above his elbow with gloves.

Gloves have become nearly automatic for NFL players outside of snappers (centers and long snappers) and players who receive snaps (quarterbacks, punters and holders). Nnadi, Brown, Taylor and Reid all wear gloves.

NFL policy requires players to cover their legs with tights or socks. Reid does this rather creatively by cutting his tights at the thigh and using tape glue to keep them on so they don’t restrict his hip movement.

Most players just wear one pair of socks so their movement isn’t limited.

Brown said he wears two socks when he feels he needs extra protection from hits. Taylor wears one pair of socks, but tapes his cleats and ankles, called spatting, to protect his ankles after past injuries.

Players also spat their ankles for extra stability.

Nnadi has past ankle injuries as well, and wears compression socks from athletic wear company Lasso so he doesn’t have to tape his ankles.

But the one accessory that may be the flashiest and most useful? A white towel on a player’s hip.

It’s rare to see offensive linemen wear towels. Most football fans associate towels with players who need to catch the ball like Brown, who routinely wears a towel.

But the men in the trenches also need dry hands to grapple with their opponents, which is why Taylor comes equipped with a towel every game on his hip.

“It’s very clutch,” Taylor said about the towel. He added other teammates also use it at times during the game.

The same applies for defensive players. Reid periodically wears a towel, but teammates will also use each other’s towels during the game to wipe their hands.

“You stand in the huddle, you just need it,” Reid said. “You don’t have your own towel: just hurry up, dry your hands off.”

This story was originally published January 17, 2025 at 6:00 AM.