The NFL Players Association just conducted a thorough league survey. They called them “NFL Player Team Report Cards.” In them, they graded teams in various categories like treatment of families, food service/nutrition, weight room, strength coaches, training room, training staff, locker room and even team travel.
The Washington Commanders finished dead last.
The report was released yesterday during the Scouting Combine, and was based on anonymous responses from approximately 1,300 players.
The NFLPA said:
“One of our core jobs as a union is to improve the overall working conditions for our players, which includes the daily experience of players at the team facilities away from the lights and cameras.”
The Commanders joined the Los Angeles Chargers and Arizona Cardinals at the bottom of the heap. The Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins and Las Vegas Raiders were the top three.
NFLPA President
“I think the recommendations will be fairly clear when they read the reports,” said NFLPA President JC Tretter. “There’s not much lost in translation. There are some really basic things where it’s like: ‘This shouldn’t be going on.’ ”
Tretter insisted that the survey is not intended to shame teams.
Among some of the findings were that only 18 of 32 teams offer rooms in stadiums where families can go with their children, seven teams do not arrange for players to have room-mates on road trips, and six teams do not fly players first class.
“The reason we want this to be reoccurring is next year, there can be no claim of ignorance because we’ve brought the problem up and it would be even more telling if these issues continue,” Tretter said. “Then that’s a clear choice and there’s no claim of ignorance there. It’s going to be very clear what the next steps should be. If you’re unwilling to take those next steps, I think that tells us a lot going into the following year.”
Tretter also said that it was important to release the survey results before free agency begins, because how teams treat players could be a deciding factor when mulling two offers.
“Two offers being equal, this might get a player to say, ‘My situation in Team X with the same offer is going to be better than Team Y’ “, Tretter said.
So no shaming, but clearly an interest in playing a part in boosting the teams that are coddling their players the most. Got it.
Commanders Grades
From the report:
“Besides the strength coaches who received great feedback and grades as one of the best groups in the league, the rest of the club’s operations and facilities were rated by player respondents at the bottom of every single category.”
“Players had significantly more concerns with each area of the facility than the player respondents on any other team. For example, they were the team most consistently identified as having an understaffed training room.”
Breakdown of Key Categories
Oof.
Last in the league in four different categories – treatment of families, training room, locker room and team travel.
As well as dead last overall.
A spokesperson for the Commanders was quoted as saying, “Player health and safety is our top priority, and we continue to invest in our facilities, including a new practice field, new turf in the practice bubble and increased meeting room space. We know there is more to do, and we regularly talk with our players about ways to improve their work environment and the experience for their families.”