WSJ Article- Worst team to play for Cost $6B- Player Conditions

[JohnB]

The Washington Commanders have escaped the Dan Snyder era and boast a new ownership group that has restored optimism that this once-great franchise can finally reverse its fortunes. 

But according to NFL players, they’re still the worst team to play for. 

For the second consecutive year, the NFL Players Association surveyed its members about the less glamorous parts of playing in America’s most popular sports league: the day-to-day working conditions. And just like last season, the Commanders finished last. 

Players on the team——newly acquired by an ownership group led by Josh Harris for $6 billion in 2023—reported multiple sewage leaks among a range of problems.

For fans, the responses from over 1,700 players present an unvarnished look at behind-the-scenes issues that affect teams across the league. These range from players having to pay in order to not share hotel rooms to one team that forces players to sit through long waits on the airport tarmac. For players, the results give them data on the best and worst teams to work for shortly ahead of free agency. 

The team that ranked second to last is far more surprising than the Commanders, who have had well-documented facility issues for years. The reigning-champion Kansas City Chiefs finished 31st out of the 32 teams, even though Andy Reid got the highest rating of any coach across the league. The Las Vegas Raiders’ Josh McDaniels, who was fired mid-season, ranked last in that category. 

There were also teams that drew rave reviews: the Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings finished first and second, respectively. Miami, in particular, shined, with no worse than an A- in any of the survey’s 11 categories. The Commanders, by comparison, received five grades of F- or F. 

The NFL, in a statement, said it just learned of the survey a day before its release and clubs "always encourage and solicit player feedback to help improve all facets of their NFL experience.”

"We look forward to getting the opportunity to review the union’s questionnaire,” the league said. 

Problems inside team facilities were rife across the league. Beyond the sewage leaks, a majority of Commanders players noted that their training center isn’t any better than an offsite location where they could work out. The report said that players "understand that the new club ownership didn’t create these current problems” and that they’re hopeful that the new owners will fix them. 

Earlier in the week, the Commanders had already said they were planning additional investments in the team’s facilities—totalling over $75 million since Harris bought the club. The team added that the newly hired general manager and coach, Adam Peters and Dan Quinn, have already started working directly with players on these topics. 

Bengals players, meanwhile, complained that about half of the team’s showers don’t work because they either don’t provide warm water or there isn’t enough water pressure. They also reported there are "consistent plumbing issues that limit the amount of functioning toilets” they can use. 

This is also one of the areas where the Chiefs fell short. They got an F for their locker room, 

even though it was outfitted this year with a state-of-the-art feature to make players more comfortable: actual chairs with backs. 

 

Most NFL teams offer free daycare for players’ children on game days. Some charge for it. 

The going rate for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is $90 per kid, while the Los Angeles Chargers charge $75 for the first child and $50 for each additional one. The Chargers were also the team that leaves players waiting on the tarmac as the plane gets loaded with the equipment. 

That’s not the only thing the Bucs ask players to pony up for. Younger players must room together on work trips, unless they pay the team $1,750 for their own room. The Chiefs are also one of seven teams whose players complained that they were sometimes required to bunk together the night before a game. 

Tampa Bay said that after last year’s survey spoke to the team not offering childcare, the services were sparsely used after being added this season. In a statement, the Bucs said they "value the NFLPA report and the input from our players that it provides. The feedback allows us to examine, address and improve many areas of our operation.”

It wasn’t all negative. Plenty of players reported upgrades from last season’s survey, including members of the Jacksonville Jaguars, who complained of a rat infestation a year ago. This year, they were much happier with the team’s new state-of-the-art facility. 

In Arizona, the Cardinals stopped charging players for dinner, a flashpoint in last year’s feedback. And the Bengals were lauded for completely renovating their training room and improving their hot and cold tubs. 

That didn’t solve all the issues in Cincinnati, though. The Bengals are the only team, according to the NFLPA, that closes their cafeteria on players’ off days even though many come into the facility anyway.

 

 

Grading NFL Teams

How each club performed on a survey of more than 1,700 players

 

TEAM	OVERALL RANK	TREATMENT OF FAMILIES	FOOD / CAFETERIA	NUTRITIONIST / DIETICIAN	LOCKER ROOM	TRAINING ROOM	TRAINING STAFF	WEIGHT ROOM	STRENGTH COACHES	TEAM TRAVEL	HEAD COACH	OWNER
Dolphins	1	A-	A	A	A	A	A-	A+	A	A	A	A+
Vikings	2	A	B+	A	A	A-	B	A	A	A-	A+	A+
Packers	3	C+	B+	B	B-	B	B	A	A-	B+	B+	A
Eagles	4	C	A	B	B-	B+	A-	A-	A-	C	A	A
Jaguars	5	D-	B-	B	A-	A-	B+	A	B+	B	A-	A
49ers	6	A-	A-	B+	B+	C	B-	B+	B+	C+	A	A-
Texans	7	B+	A-	A-	B	B+	B+	B	B	B-	A-	B+
Giants	8	C	B	C+	C+	B	A-	B	B+	B+	A-	B+
Raiders	9	C+	B+	A-	A-	B+	B	A+	A-	C	D	B+
Bears	10	C+	C	C+	A-	B+	B	A	B	B	B	B+
Bills	11	B	C	D+	B+	B+	B	A+	A	D	A	A-
Cowboys	12	A-	B	B	A	C-	D+	A	B+	C-	A	B
Lions	13	B	C	C+	B-	B	B	B+	A-	B	A+	B-
Seahawks	14	C	B	B+	B	C	C+	B	A-	C	A	C+
Ravens	15	B-	C+	B-	B-	C+	B-	B-	B	C-	B+	A
Broncos	16	D+	B	B+	D	B-	B	B	C	B-	A-	A
Panthers	17	B	B	B+	C+	C+	A-	B	A	B-	A-	D
Titans	18	D+	B	B	C+	C+	B	B+	B+	F	B+	B+
Saints	19	D+	F	B-	B	B+	B	B	A-	B	B-	B+
Rams	20	D	D	C+	D+	C-	B	C-	A-	B-	A	C+
Jets	21	D-	C-	B+	C-	C-	C	B-	B-	C	B	B-
Colts	22	D	C	B-	B	B-	B-	C	C	D	A-	C
Browns	23	D-	C+	C+	D+	C+	B-	D	B+	D	B-	B
Buccaneers	24	F	C-	B	C-	B-	B	B	A-	F	B-	D-
Falcons	25	C	C	A-	F	B-	A-	F	F-	C	C+	A-
Bengals	26	F-	F-	F-	D+	B+	B+	B+	A-	C	A	C+
Cardinals	27	D+	D	C	F	C-	B	C-	C+	C+	A-	F
Steelers	28	F-	B-	D	F	D+	C	C	B+	D	A	F
Patriots	29	F-	B-	B-	C-	C	B-	F	C-	D	B-	D+
Chargers	30	F	F	B	F	D+	C+	D+	C+	D-	B	C+
Chiefs	31	D+	C-	F	F	D	F	C+	C+	D	A+	F-
Commanders	32	F-	D+	B-	F-	F-	F	C	A	F	C	B

Source: NFL Players Association

[Vee]

Damn...an F MINUS for the Chiefs owner....players were not going to just let a regular ole F do, they had to make sure it went even deeper.

[xzmattzx]

An F for the Steelers' owner. So much for the Rooney family being NFL royalty, I guess.

[Alpha_TATEr]

so the 2nd worst ranked team is the nfl current dynasty.