NFLPA’s 2022 Report Card: Four Surprising Grades
Have you ever wondered what 1,300 NFL players think about their own team’s working conditions?
Well, the NFLPA has the answers. The players association compiled a survey of 1,300 responses, which is nearly 60% of the league. It’s all in the name of highlighting who did things right and exposing who did wrong.
Some of the grades given in this report card were surprising to me. Some were no surprise at all, such as the Washington Commanders finishing last overall in the league. We know they treat their players like garbage. I hate Dan Snyder.
Here are the four most surprising grades given in this year’s NFLPA report card.
Kansas City Chiefs: Ranked 29th of 32 Teams Overall
It’s hard to believe that the team that just won the Super Bowl can be ranked as low as the Kansas City Chiefs were in this NFLPA’s report card.
You’d think that the teams with the most on-field success would have the best work environment. I guess the two just don’t correlate that way.
One of the things I like about this report card is they actually give reasons for the grades. For example, KC was given an “F” in Team Travel, partially because they are of the one-in-six teams that makes younger players have roommates on the road.
KC also ranked as the lowest in the league in training staff, citing a lack of “a more welcoming environment.”
We also learn that ” … players’ key concerns are with head trainer Rick Burkholder (not the rest of the training staff, which is generally well-liked).”
The only thing Kansas City had an “A” in was strength coaches.
Houston Texans: One of the League’s Best
I don’t know why, but I was surprised to see that the Houston Texans were amongst the highest-graded teams in the entire league. Maybe it’s because they were not very good.
Houston finished fourth in the league overall. They had four “A” grades, including being tied for the best training staff and team travel. In fact, Houston didn’t finish outside of the top 10 in any category.
Compared to the Chiefs, they don’t have to have roommates when they travel.
Maybe players will see these reports of other teams and base their free agency decisions on the various reports. I know I would.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Rats!
It has been well-documented that the Jacksonville Jaguars don’t treat their players very well at all, 28th in the league as a matter of fact.
But for 3-4 weeks of the season, there was a rat infestation in the locker room and surrounding facilities!
This is pretty disgusting. We’re in the NFL here guys. We shouldn’t have to be dealing with rats in the facilities like this is sixth-grade summer camp.
No shock here, “When asked what the number one thing they want changed at their facility, the answer was unanimous – get rid of the rats!”
I don’t know how this doesn’t automatically give them an “F” for locker room, but they managed to slither by – or squeak by – to a “D-.” They also had some pretty bad grades in treatment of families and nutrition.
Cincinnati Bengals: Just Plain Mean
“Players report that there is nowhere safe and warm for mothers and children to go during the game, and that breastfeeding mothers have sat on the public restroom floor to nurse their babies,” the report said.
This is absolutely disgusting, Bengals. You should be ashamed. With all the money that is constantly poured into these owners’ pockets, you would think the teams would have a sense of pride in keeping the families happy.
Clearly, this is not the case for the Bengals. No surprise, they received an “F” for the treatment of families category.
They also finished last, with an “F-” for food service/nutrition. They are one of three teams in the league that doesn’t provide the team with dinners. They’re the only team that doesn’t give vitamins to their players.
That’s just weird man, don’t you want your players to be eating the best stuff that you offer? And don’t you want them to be healthy?
Cincinatti finished 27th overall.
Debriefing
The surprises and weird reports don’t end here. The NFL has some strange working conditions for a league that makes as much money as they do. I’m glad the NFLPA’s report card is exposing this.
Some teams shined during this segment. Others, not so much. The Vikings, Dolphins and Raiders earned the best grades in the league, while the Chargers, Cardinals and Commanders earned the worst.
The Cardinals are the only team in the league that makes players pay for their meals. Doesn’t get much greedier than that.
One of the most popular assessments of a team being graded highly is respect for the player’s time. Brian Daboll and the New York Giants (ranked eighth overall) did very well in this category.
“Every respondent believes that Daboll is respectful of the players’ time,” the Giants’ report card said. “… They also feel he is willing to listen and collaborate with them. In many players’ opinions, his tenure is a stark change from former head coach Joe Judge’s tenure and an example of how quickly things can improve if the club prioritizes the well-being of players.”
I don’t know about you, but I find these team evaluations to be really fascinating.
I really hope the Jags resolved their rat situation. Oh and also, screw Dan Snyder.
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