NFLPA to fight thigh pad rule?

Since reaching agreement on a 10-year labor agreement last July, the NFL and the NFL Players Association haven't had what you'd call a warm-and-fuzzy relationship. The latest in their series of skirmishes: the league's plan to make hip, thigh and knee pads mandatory as a way to increase player safety. 

According to Alex Marvez of FoxSports.com, the NFLPA will file a grievance if the owners approve the new rule. 

The NFLPA believes that requiring players to wear the pads amounts to a change in work place conditions, which would require a side letter agreement to become incorporated into the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Marvez said the NFL hasn't presented any evidence that the pads would actually reduce injuries. 

Some players, particularly wide receivers, don't like to use thigh pads because they believe it slows them down. Pads would potentially cut down on bruises that can occur if a player is hit on the top of the thigh, although those who don't wear pads appear willing to take that risk.