Some NFL helmets look bigger because players use different approved models, custom internal padding, added safety covers, and individualized fits for their head shape, position, and injury history. What you’re seeing on TV is a mix of safety engineering and personal preference, not random inconsistency.

The Basic Idea

  • The NFL allows a menu of helmet models that pass its safety tests, and they all have slightly different outer shell shapes and profiles.
  • Inside, teams can tweak padding thickness, placement, and inflation so two helmets of the “same size” can look very different once fitted to different heads.

Different Helmet Models

  • Modern helmets like the VICIS ZERO2 (worn by QBs such as Patrick Mahomes) are designed with extra deformable structure to reduce impact forces, which can give them a rounder, “bulbous” look compared with older styles.
  • Some models are optimized for certain positions (for example, more protection for frequent rotational hits), so linemen, receivers, and quarterbacks might gravitate toward different designs that naturally look bigger or sleeker.

Custom Fit & Player Preferences

  • Equipment staff customize helmets to each player’s head—swapping padding, changing thickness, and adjusting how high or low the shell sits—which affects how big the helmet appears on camera.
  • Players sometimes request their helmet to ride higher (for better vision) or with more space around the crown (for comfort or perceived protection), which can make the shell look oversized relative to their face.

Added Padding and Covers

  • In recent seasons, you may also see padded outer shells like Guardian Caps in camp or practice, which are soft foam layers strapped over the helmet to reduce impact forces, making the whole thing look noticeably larger.
  • Experimental or practice-only padding can look especially bulky because to make a real difference in impact reduction, the extra foam layer has to be fairly thick.

Hair, Face Masks, and Visual Illusions

  • Long hair, dreads, or big hairstyles force equipment staff to size and pad helmets differently, which can make one player’s helmet look huge compared with a teammate’s, even if they technically wear similar sizes.
  • Different facemask styles (tight to the face versus extended outward) can change how big the helmet appears from certain angles, creating an illusion that some helmets stick out much farther than others.

TL;DR: When you ask “why are some NFL helmets bigger than others,” the answer is a mix of different helmet models, custom safety padding, outer practice shells, hair and facemask style, and player preferences for vision and comfort—all within the league’s safety-approved options.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.