The NFLPA released the findings from its annual player survey on Wednesday morning, giving front offices across the league direction on where they were succeeding, and where there is work to be done.

Now three years into the report card, the NFLPA has used the questionnaire in an effort to both better inform its players who were set to make decisions in free agency, as well as to inform franchises where they were falling short of expectation.

This year, 1,695 NFL players, more than three quarters of the league’s membership, took part in the survey. Three seasons in, it already is getting results—notable risers in this year’s survey include the Washington Commanders (ranked 32nd in 2024, now 11th), Atlanta Falcons (25th in 2024, now third) and Los Angeles Chargers (ranked 30th in 2024, now fifth). Jumps like that shows that if owners are proactive about addressing the issues that are raised to them by their players, vibes inside a locker room can shift rapidly.

That said, there are other teams that still need improving. This year, four NFL teams received F-minus grades in at least one aspect of the player survey. While this is an improvement from last year, when six F-minus grades were awarded, it shows there is still plenty of room to grow.

Below we look at the F-minus grades of the NFLPA survey, and how each team wound up with a failing grade.

Arizona Cardinals

Received F-minus grade for Locker Room.

The Cardinals came in last place in the overall rankings of this year’s player report cards, dropping down from their already disappointing ranking of 27th out of 32 teams in 2024.

The largest issue raised in Arizona was the locker room, which players almost universally agree is too small. Only 24% of players on the team believe the team’s locker room to be adequately sized, the lowest of any team in the league. Players were similarly frustrated with the team’s weight room, which received an F grade of its own and ranked 31st in the league.

Additionally, players requested the Cardinals upgrade their food program, and asked for pre-game sideline passes for family members before games.

While the results are undoubtedly not what the Cardinals were hoping to here, if there’s any upside, it’s that the changes aren’t too difficult to address. If you need a bigger weight room, you build a bigger weight room. If players want family sideline passes, print out some passes. We’ll see if the team’s owners get the hint and start making plans to revamp the team’s space in the near future.

Buffalo Bills

Received F-minus grades for Team Travel.

While the Bills came in just below league average at 23rd overall out of 32 teams in this year’s ranking, they were still the owners of one of four F-minus grades, this one in the category of team travel.

Bills players said that the team’s travel schedule was inefficient, and just 35% of players said they had a comfortable amount of personal space on team flights.

Additionally, players expressed the frustration with the fact that “they are made to sit in the smaller seats during travel while the coaches and auxiliary staff sit in first class.” This was an issue raised in the player survey last year, and appears to still not have been addressed.

Again, this feels like a simple issue to fix—someone get this team a seating chart and start doing some math.

Cincinnati Bengals

Received F-minus grades for Treatment of Families.

As a whole, Cincinnati came in 24th out of 32 teams across the league, but for the second year in a row, the Bengals received an F-minus grade regarding the treatment of players’ families.

Per the NFLPA survey, Cincinnati is now one of just three teams in the league that does not offer daycare during home games, and one of 10 teams that does not offer a family room. They are the only team in the league that offers neither benefit to their players.

The Bengals also came in last in the league in categories relating to food and nutrition, with players requesting another easy fix from ownership to address the issue. ”The players want their dietitian, Lindsay, to be hired as a full-time employee,” the survey reads. “Players report that she is only able to be in the building two days a week and strives to do the best she can with the very limited resources she is given. Players want her to be empowered to implement necessary changes that impact their nutrition and health.”

It feels shocking that there is a team in the NFL that apparently doesn’t have a dietitian in the building five days per week, but that’s precisely why the survey is such an important tool for players.

Cleveland Browns

Received F-minus grades for Locker Room.

The Browns ranked 30th overall in this year’s survey, with the biggest issue raised by players being the team’s locker room—just 29% of the team’s players believe the locker room to be an adequate size.

That said, the Browns are one of the franchises that has also already shown a willingness to make changes based on issues raised by its players. After receiving a D grade on the team’s weight room last year, Cleveland built a new one, which received an A grade in the 2025 survey.

Additionally, some players raised the issue of a perceived inequity between the treatment of their families and those of the coaching staff. “For example, the coaches’ families have a postgame meet up inside the stadium, while the players’ families meet in a tent in the parking lot,” the report card reads.

Maybe next season the team should opt for a single meeting point shared by both players and coaches.

Other Teams in Need of Improvement

There are a few other standouts on the naughty side of this year’s player survey.

The New England Patriots were ranked 31st overall, and flagged with an F grade for team travel. Per the survey: “Only 39% of players feel they have comfortable amount of space on flights when traveling to games. The plane is dated—it lacks Wi-Fi and still has ashtrays in the seats.”

The New York Jets, ranked 29th overall, made the puzzling decision of firing the team’s “long-time, well-respected dietician,” who was responsible for the highest grade the team received in last year’s survey. Additionally, the Jets received an F grade in ownership, with Woody Johnson coming in dead last across multiple categories amongst NFL owners.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Four NFL Teams Scored F-Minus Grades in Player Survey, and How They Can Improve.