The NFLPA released their player team report cards for each team publicly this year for the first time ever. Boy, do some of these NFL teams look awful. The NFL announces these billion-dollar contracts, and you have teams with rat problems, players needing to pay for their own dinner, teammates sharing rooms, and the list goes on. The things these billion dollar owners are too cheap to fix amazes me.
The NFLPA surveryed about 1,300 players and gave each team a grade in numerous categories. Here are the absolute worst things players said about their teams:
The Jaguars Have Rats
The Jaguars have rats, and no I’m not talking about Urban Meyer. Players reported that for 3-4 weeks this season, there was a rat infestation in the locker room and laundry hampers. To make matters worse, the Jags were flagged this year for dead rats in their concessions by health inspectors. The Jags are worth nearly $3.5 billion – their owner, Shad Khan, is worth over $12 billion. How do you end up with a rat problem?
To make matters worse for the Jaguars, they don’t have any space for players families during games. A majority of the league has a special room where families can go to during games. Instead, Jags players reported that their wives would have to nurse their babies in public restrooms.
The Cardinals Charge Players for Food
A football player’s biggest asset is their health – so naturally NFL teams provide free food to the players. If they can control what the players are eating, they can ensure they stay in top shape – that is unless you’re the Arizona Cardinals. During the season, the Cardinals would charge players for dinner (breakfast and lunch seem to be provided) and if a player is working out in the offseason at the facility, they’re charged for every meal. The Cardinals are the only NFL team that does this. They’re also the only NFL team that would employ Steve Keim for nearly a decade as their GM.
Road Trip Roommates for the Commanders
To no surprise, the Washington Football Team Commanders ranked dead last among all NFL teams. If you’re a young player on the Commanders, you better be ready to share your hotel room. Dan Synder is so cheap that he forces young guys to share rooms on what is essentially a business trip for these players.
On top of that, the Commanders had some of the lowest rankings for training staff, training room, and the weight room. Players complained that the weight room was too small and that the team did not have enough physical therapists to treat the team. Washington also got a D for their training staff – players stated that they did not want to do their rehab at the facility.
Vitamins – Nope, Supplements – Try Again, Working Showers and Toilets – Not in Cincinnati
The Cincinnati Bengals are one of only two teams in the league that don’t supply their players with vitamins and supplements. That seems so counterproductive. Wouldn’t you want your players in the best possible shape to win football games? The Bengals are another team that don’t provide their players with dinner.
Players also reported that the facility has some serious plumbing issues. Showers and toilets don’t consistently work and players feel like the facility is in need of serious renovations.
You can also add the Bengals to the list of teams that don’t have a family room – and yes, players wives would breast feed their babies in public restrooms in the stadium.