NFLPA report cards: Vikings earn top grade, Commanders rank last
The NFLPA released its first NFL Player Team Report Cards on Wednesday with the goal of helping free agents make more informed decisions.
Clubs were graded using quantitative and qualitative evaluations through a questionnaire that 1,300 players answered for their respective teams.
Categories included:
- Treatment of families
- Nutrition
- Weight room
- Strength staff
- Training room
- Training staff
- Locker room
- Team travel
Here are the top five and bottom five teams, plus some other notable trends across the league.
Top five overall
1. Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings earned the league's top overall grade, receiving an A- or better in every category and coming away with four A+ grades. Every respondent felt owner Zygi Wilf is willing to spend money to upgrade facilities, and the training staff stood out as one of the club's biggest strengths.
2. Miami Dolphins
Owner Stephen Ross has the confidence of 97% of the respondents when it comes to willingness to spend on improvements. The only complaint was better accessibility for family members. The Dolphins received a C+ for treatment of families but earned an A or better in every other category. The strength staff received plenty of praise with respondents believing they played a significant role in personal success.
3. Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders' new stadium and amenities have inspired envy around the league, with multiple requests from players on other teams to "make the facilities more like Vegas." The Raiders earned a B or better in every category, but players did report that head coach Josh McDaniels keeps them longer than they'd like.
4. Houston Texans
The Texans earned a B+ or better in every category, excelling in training staff. Houston was one of just three franchises to earn an A+ in team travel, joining the Raiders and New Orleans Saints. The McNairs, who 97% of respondents felt were willing to spend, could look into building a sauna or steam room, as the Texans are one of just two teams without one.
5. Dallas Cowboys
Jerry Jones' club ranked well across the board outside of team travel, where the Cowboys ranked T-23rd with a C- grade. Players gave Mike McCarthy a shoutout for the recovery time they get each week, but respondents would like to see more staffers in the training room to aid the A- training staff.
Bottom five overall
28. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars are in the midst of renovations that could go a long way in improving their future grades. For now, though, only team travel (B), strength coaches (A-), and training staff (A) earned a B or better. The team also received an F in treatment of families due to the lack of family room and daycare.
29. Kansas City Chiefs
Despite their on-field success, the Chiefs have work to do when it comes to their facilities, and only 56% of respondents believe Clark Hunt is willing to spend on improvements. Kansas City ranks dead last in training staff and earned an F in team travel because every player has a roommate and fewer than 50% of respondents felt travel was comfortable.
30. Los Angeles Chargers
The third AFC West team mentioned and the second in the bottom five, the Chargers really struggled to earn positive grades. Only team travel (B) and strength coaches (A-) were better than a B. Meanwhile, nutrition graded out as an F and the training room earned an abysmal F- grade. Just 50% of respondents believe Dean Spanos will invest in upgrades.
31. Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals just barely avoided the bottom spot despite ranking F or F- in all but two categories. No owner has earned less confidence from his players than Michael Bidwill, so it's quite possible Arizona drops to the basement in future years. Two of the biggest complaints were the weight room, which some players felt was a safety risk, and the team deducting meals from paychecks.
32. Washington Commanders
Outside of an A+ in strength coaches, the Commanders stand to upgrade in every category. Like the Cardinals, Washington had three F- grades. The locker room and team travel were among them and ranked as the worst in the league.
Other takeaways
The top five teams went a combined 43-41-1 in 2022. The Raiders and Texans were the only two in the top five to finish with a losing record, while the Vikings, Dolphins, and Cowboys all made the playoffs.
Surprisingly, the bottom five teams outperformed the top with a combined 45-39-1 record. The Chiefs' league-best 14-3 finish plays a large factor.
There were 32 A+ grades earned by 15 clubs. Eight of the A+ grades were given to training staffs. Only the Chiefs (D-), Commanders (D), and Chargers (C-) received below a B for training staff.
Most teams either excelled or struggled with team travel. There were 13 clubs with team travel grades below a B and 11 with an A- or better, leaving just eight in the middle.
The only category where no team earned an A+ was nutrition. Four teams earned an A and another three had an A-, while four clubs graded out with an F- or F.