WSJ -- The Worst NFL Team to Play for Is …..........................................
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NFL
March 2, 2023
The Worst NFL Team to Play for Is …
A new survey of NFL players presents an unusually revealing look inside how franchises worth billions of dollars are still rankled by problems -- and found the Washington Commanders had the worst workplace conditions
By Andrew Beaton
INDIANAPOLIS -- The Washington Commanders have faced controversies over their name, their workplace culture and ownership. Now they have been tagged as the worst team in the NFL to play for -- and that’s according to the players themselves.
Washington’s football team, which owner Dan Snyder is exploring selling, ranked last in a new survey conducted by the NFL Players Association that rated teams in eight categories, including the treatment of players’ families, nutrition, the training staff and team travel. In three categories, the Commanders received an F- grade.
The responses from 1,300 players across the league present an unusually revealing look inside how franchises worth billions of dollars are still rankled by problems -- with vast gaps in quality from team to team. Three clubs, according to the survey, don’t serve their players dinner. Six teams make some of their players share hotel rooms before road games. The Bengals were the lone team that doesn’t offer their players nutritional supplements, and one of two that doesn’t give them vitamins.
Other issues that players flagged teams for included a rat infestation, cold tubs that weren’t cold, “gross” hot tubs, and players’ wives having to nurse their babies on the floors of public restrooms because their teams lacked a room for families.
The goal of the survey wasn’t to shame teams, but rather to create a comprehensive review of the different working conditions across the league, said union president J.C. Tretter. This time of year, ahead of free agency, it isn’t uncommon for players to swap notes about what it’s like playing for different teams.
“There were a lot of examples of doing great things for players,” Tretter said. “It puts it in stark contrast to teams that aren’t.”
The Minnesota Vikings, which opened up a new practice facility in 2018, topped the rankings and received no worse than an A- grade in any category. The report said that the Vikings are a “shining example of what is possible when a concerted investment is made in both staffing and facilities.”
The Commanders, meanwhile, won’t be putting their report card on the refrigerator. Their F- grades came in the training room, locker room and team travel categories.
The primary problem is the state of their facilities, with the survey showing that players had “more concerns with each area of the facility than the player respondents on any other team.” The complaints included small hot and cold tubs for recovery, a cramped locker room, a lack of warm water and issues with poor drainage in the showers.
“The locker room does not have confidence that club owner Dan Snyder is willing to invest to upgrade the facilities, as player responses rank him 31st in this category,” the NFLPA report says.
Those weren’t the only issues. Only 22% of Commanders’ players responded that they have enough space on team flights, while the Commanders are one of seven teams that don’t offer their players first-class seats. They were also one of the teams that make a segment of their players bunk with roommates on the road.
The club has been pursuing a new stadium, and ultimately received poor grades in every category but strength coaches, who received an A+.
“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,” a Commanders spokeswoman said. “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.”
The Arizona Cardinals ranked just ahead of the Commanders in second-to-last place. Some players complained about a weight room that they say can feel like a safety hazard with uneven floors and the floorboards peeling up. The survey also noted the team’s apparent policy of deducting dinner from players’ paychecks if they want to get food from the facility. A team spokesman didn’t respond to a request for comment.
While the Los Angeles Chargers ranked 30th, the report accounted for their circumstances -- they are in a temporary facility before their new one El Segundo, Calif., costing upward of $200 million and built by owner Dean Spanos, is completed in 2024. It added that their coach, Brandon Staley, and strength coaches received high marks. However it also noted that multiple players described the team’s hot tubs as “gross” and that the cold tubs are often not cold.
The Jacksonville Jaguars, as the team with the alleged rat infestation, also received low marks. The report said that for three to four weeks there were rats in the locker room and the hampers. Jacksonville, along with the Bengals, drew complaints of players’ wives having to nurse their babies on the floors of public restrooms because there wasn’t a family room for them. Jaguars and Bengals spokespeople didn’t respond to requests for comment.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Miami Dolphins, Las Vegas Raiders, Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys rounded out the top-five teams behind Minnesota, with generally positive reviews.
The report also noted that teams that didn’t eat up too much of players’ days were rewarded. It said that seven of the eight teams that were most efficient with player time made the playoffs last year.
But good grades didn’t exactly correlate with winning, either. The Super Bowl-champion Chiefs finished 29th.
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Survey Says
A survey of NFL players rated teams on their working conditions:
1. Vikings
2. Dolphins
3. Raiders
4. Texans
5. Cowboys
6. Packers
7. 49ers
8. Giants
9. Bills
10. Saints
11. Seahawks
12. Panthers
13. Bears
14. Eagles
15. Lions
16. Colts
17. Ravens
18. Titans
19. Jets
20. Broncos
21. Browns
22. Steelers
23. Falcons
24. Patriots
25. Rams
26. Buccaneers
27. Bengals
28. Jaguars
29. Chiefs
30. Chargers
31. Cardinals
32. Commanders
Write to Andrew Beaton at andrew.beaton@wsj.com
Copyright © 2023 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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