For all of the great accomplishments and success inside the NFL, it has its complete disappointments. The NFLPA has released complete report cards on all teams, broken down by letter grade for each category. Below are all the failures to receive an F, in order of best overall to worst.
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The players had enough respect for the NFL coaches not to fail any of them. The Chicago Bears’ Ben Johnson, Jacksonville Jaguars Liam Coen, and Cleveland Browns Kevin Stefanski tied for the lowest score, at C.
The New York Jets owner is the biggest embarrassment in the NFL, coming in with the only F of any team. The Jets have not won a Super Bowl since 1969, but let’s not blame Woody Johnson for all of it. Buying the team in January 2000, he is only responsible for 25 years of no Super Bowls. If not getting further than a Wild Card appearance wasn’t enough, the biggest embarrassment may have come over the last few years.
Johnson allowed quarterback Aaron Rogers to run the team straight into the ground. Who knows how far Rogers has set back the Jets franchise? Along with his erratic behavior, the players indicated a lack of positivity and commitment to facilities as some of the main issues.
The Bengals are the only team to fail in this category. With all the money in the NFL, how hard could it be to provide acceptable catering? Players have stated it’s never fresh, comparing it to prison food. One player even said the food at college was superior. Along with a lack of options and an unsatisfactory dining area, the Bengals are the worst team in the league at feeding their athletes.
Scoring no less than a B grade in the three previous categories, the Philadelphia Eagles plummet in the travel department. Most players feel like they are not provided enough personal space on flights, including not being provided first-class seats. The players also mentioned their travel is generally inefficient. There must be more than meets the eye, as that’s fairly vague for a failing grade.
The NFLPA found the Buffalo Bills travel so horrendous that they needed to downgrade their F to an F-. Per the NFLPA, the Bills players were forced to sit in smaller seats, while the coaches and auxiliary staff sat in first class. When the auxiliary staff has it easier to travel than the athletes, who can blame them for failing the Bills?
Being one of only two teams that own their aircraft, one may assume this is a benefit. Perhaps once upon a time, the Patriots benefited from the new toy, but it seems the players feel the team has been riding off that wave for too long. The aging plane has smaller seats, no Wi-Fi, and is old enough to feature an ashtray.
The Patriots rank last by the NFLA to play for, only behind the Arizona Cardinals overall, so perhaps this is to be expected. For an NFL organization to be unable to supply an adequate gym is an embarrassment. Just like their plane, their gym is cramped and outdated.
The Arizona Cardinals are not only the worst team to play for per the NFLPA, but they are the only team to charge for dinners and are graded as the worst gym in the league. Players have gone as far as to call the gym a safety hazard, small, and outdated.
Overall, Jacksonville saw one of the biggest dips from the previous year, going from five to 18. The players mention a lack of a family room for their loved ones to get out of the heat, a lack of access to sideline passes for their families, and fewer planned activities than any team.
The Bengals are the worst team at treating their players’ families well. So poorly, they received an F-. They do not offer any family area or daycare, with players calling it almost disrespectful. One could argue it is, considering they got the same grade last year and have made no improvements. With rare family events and a family area referred to as a tent, the Bengals need to treat people better.
Most of these things are fixable, and it points out the sore spot of football being a business first and a sport second. How hard is it to give your players a good gym and somewhere comfortable for their families to relax?
Howe Fresh
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