The NFL has long sought to present itself as a league striving for fairness between team owners and players. As part of that effort, those who put their bodies on the line every week during the season are given, through the NFL Players Association, an anonymous way to evaluate the franchises they play for.
That system takes shape in the annual report cards, which allow players to grade various aspects of their organizations. However, some owners have grown increasingly uncomfortable with the practice, unsurprising, considering they tend to run the teams that receive the worst marks.
The players’ assessments use a letter-based scale ranging from
A to F, with F being the lowest possible grade. The categories include:
- Locker rooms
- Training staff
- Treatment of families
- Head coach, and
- Ownership.
This year, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson received a dismal F in perceived willingness to invest in facilities and contribution to a positive team culture. Predictably, Johnson pushed back, claiming the results were inaccurate. His reaction helped fuel an effort within the league to pressure the NFLPA not to publish the latest round of player survey results.
Owners argue that the report cards violate the collective bargaining agreement by making public criticisms of franchises. According to ESPN, the NFL wrote to the union in August, citing a clause stating that no league participant should publicly criticize clubs.
Use reasonable efforts to curtail public comments by club personnel or players which express criticism of any club, its coach, or its operation and policy.
Despite the league’s attempts to halt the practice, the NFLPA says it will continue administering the survey.
We have responded to the grievance with our intention to fight against this action and continue what’s clearly become an effective tool for comparing workplace standards across the league and equipping you to make informed career decisions.
According to the network, the league is expected to escalate the issue by seeking arbitration in December. A total of 1,700 players completed the 2025 survey, and the highest-rated teams were the Minnesota Vikings and the Miami Dolphins.
Still, questions linger about how the information was collected, at least according to the Jets owner.
[It] was supposed to be according to the agreement we have with the league. It’s supposed to be a process [where] we have representatives and they have representatives, so we know that it’s an honest survey.
And that was violated, in my opinion… this is not fair, it’s not balanced, it’s not every player, it’s not even representative of the players.
The topic is far from settled, especially in a league where many owners dislike being publicly exposed.
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