INDIANAPOLIS – For the second consecutive year, the NFL Players Association on Wednesday released its team-by-team report cardsthat evaluate the working conditions and environments of players throughout their seasons and off-seasons.
The Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars rounded out the top five in terms of overall ratings.
Meanwhile, for the second straight season, the Washington Commanders received the lowest rankings in the league, while the repeat Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs were ranked 31st overall. The Los Angeles Chargers (30), New England Patriots (29) and Pittsburgh Steelers (28) round out the bottom five.
Team grade categories included their training room, training staff, weight room, strength coaches, team travel, head coach and ownership. Owners were rated based on players’ beliefs that their ownership groups operate with a willingness to invest in team facilities.
Survey data was collected from August to November of the 2023 season. A total of 1,750 players participated in the survey (up from approximately 1,300 participants in 2022). NFLPA leaders said they were encouraged by the increase in participation this year. Approximately 77 percent of all NFL players participated in the survey. Players were asked to rate their teams, and from there, the ratings were tallied and ranked.
Player team report cards are back. Last year, report cards made players feel more informed about their workplace, and this year several new categories were added, including Head Coach, Owner + Dietitian/Nutritionist.
Take a look here: https://t.co/RV0ZNDNb2h. pic.twitter.com/vfEv6A7d2s– NFLPA (@NFLPA) February 28, 2024
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers received an F on team travel largely because players with four seasons or less and non-starters must have roommates on trips and are charged $1,750 per player if they want their own room.
The Chiefs received low marks as a result of player frustrations after owners promised to improve the outdated locker room.
However, for the second year in a row, Clark Hunt and Kansas City made no locker room improvements other than replacing the stools players had to sit in front of their lockers with chairs with backs. Chiefs players were told there was no time to properly upgrade the team’s facilities because their season was extended into February due to their Super Bowl run in 2022.
Kansas City tied for first with the Detroit Lions and Vikings in terms of head coach rank. Andy Reid, Dan Campbell and Kevin O’Connell each received A+ grades. The coach who received the lowest rating was Josh McDaniels, who was fired by the Las Vegas Raiders during the season.
“I would say things have gotten better and we’re happy that they have,” said NFL Players Association president JC Tretter, a retired offensive lineman. “Our whole goal in this… (involves) highlighting the good teams, highlighting the team that could improve and a push for change to make things better for the players, both in the short and long term.”
NFLPA leaders hope the report cards will serve as a tool to ensure accountability and encourage team owners and leadership teams to provide their players with better facilities, proper nutrition, medical care, family accommodations and further.
Lloyd Howell, the new executive director of the NFLPA, spent much of last season traveling to meet with owners of all 32 teams and discuss working conditions. Some of those conversations focused on findings from last year’s results. Howell said many homeowners are receptive to improving conditions.
“This is not a shaming exercise,” Howell said. “This is really an opportunity to recognize those teams and environments that are doing well, that are doing all the right things. These are players talking about their working conditions, what they like and what they would like to see improved.”
The findings of the survey, which was conducted by a third-party polling service, are fascinating, but interestingly, the union found no correlation between winning and losing and the quality of the ratings teams received.
This year, the union added several categories, including owners, head coach, nutritionists and dieticians.
Dolphins owner Stephen Ross received the highest ownership rating, while Hunt received the lowest.
A year after ranking among the league’s worst teams, the Jaguars opened a new team headquarters. The rat infestation that caused complaints and low ratings in 2023 is no longer a problem. The Cincinnati Bengals ranked among the worst in terms of cafeteria ratings in 2023 because meals were not provided throughout the day. A year later, the team began offering three meals a day on Wednesdays, but there is still a long way to go before players feel adequately cared for.
The Commanders ranked among the worst overall under Daniel Snyder last season and now have a new owner in Josh Harris. Ownership grades increased, but facility grades improved only slightly, which is understandable given the fact that Harris, who purchased the team in late July, has had limited time to execute upgrades.
Meanwhile, the Dallas Cowboys fell from fifth to 12th place, and frustrations over limited resources and a lack of coaching staff caused player satisfaction to drop.
One of the biggest areas of concern for players is adequate resourcing and staffing in training rooms. Many teams are understaffed in this department, and the NFLPA has been in discussions with the NFL about the need to establish a threshold for the number of coaches employed by a team to ensure an adequate coach-to-player ratio that ensures players receive proper care in case of injuries.
The NFL released a statement saying the league and teams “encourage and solicit feedback from players to help improve all facets of their NFL experience. “We look forward to having the opportunity to review the union’s questionnaire and the data supporting it.”
The league added that it invited the union to join it “in a rigorous, science-based third-party survey, as we have done previously.”
Required reading
(Photo: Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
