Oh, to be a fly on a wall in Robert Kraft’s office on Wednesday. The New England Patriots were one of the worst-performing teams in last year’s NFLPA team report card, which uses player feedback to grade each NFL franchise on various criteria. And, well, this year was even worse.
New England Patriots Get Crushed in 2024 NFLPA Survey
A total of 1,706 players participated in the survey, grading NFL teams on everything from their training facilities to their ownership. The Miami Dolphins earned the highest overall grade, with the Los Angeles Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Washington Commanders ranking 30th, 31st, and 32nd, respectively.
Statement from the NFL on the latest NFLPA report card pic.twitter.com/DxRVaf5v21
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) February 28, 2024
The Patriots finished 29th, down five spots last year when they finished 24th. It’s an across-the-board embarrassment for a proud franchise that recently invested in a $250 million stadium renovation.
Here’s how the Patriots grade in each category, and where that grade ranks among the 32 teams:
- Treatment of families: F- (30th)
- Food/cafeteria: B- (15th)
- Nutritionist/dietician: B- (20th)
- Locker room: C- (20th)
- Training room: C (22nd)
- Training staff: B- (25th)
- Weight room: F (32nd)
- Strength coaches: C- (31st)
- Team travel: D (24th)
- Head Coach Bill Belichick: B- (27th)
- Owner Robert Kraft: D+ (27th)
Note: The head coach and ownership categories are new additions to this year’s survey. The food service and nutritionist categories were also split into separate sections after being combined into one last year.
Why Did the Patriots Receive Such Poor Marks?
The NFLPA also offered brief explanations for each grade. Some categories contain multiple bullet points; others contain just one sentence.
Here are direct quotes from the NFLPA on the Patriots:
Treatment of families (F-)
— They are one of 12 teams that do not provide a family room during games.
— They are one of seven teams that do not provide daycare support for players’ children on game day.
— They are one of only four teams that do not offer either a family room or daycare.
Food/cafeteria (B-)
— They rank 16th overall in food taste.
— They rank 16th overall in food freshness.
Nutritionist/dietician (B-)
— 80% of players feel like they get an individualized plan (21st overall).
Locker room (C-)
— Only 77% of players feel like the locker room is big enough (23rd overall).
— 93% of players feel like they have enough room in their individual lockers (seventh overall).
Training room (C)
— 80% of players feel they have enough full-time trainers (26th overall).
— 80% of players feel they have enough full-time physical therapists (22nd overall).
— 89% of players feel they have enough hot tub space (14th overall).
— 89% of players feel they have enough cold tub space (16th overall).
A number of players report outdated treatment options and that the training room lacks the equipment that players feel should be standard across the league. Some players suggest additional staff, more tables and updates to the room would help meet the team’s needs for training services.
Training staff (B-)
— 83% of players feel like they receive enough 1-on-1 treatment (23rd overall).
— The players feel that the training staff moderately contributes to their success (15th overall).
Weight room (F)
— The players feel the quality of their weight room equipment is below average (32nd overall).
— The players feel like they do not have enough space in the weight room (32nd overall).
— The Patriots are the only team in the NFL with a majority of players feeling that their team’s facility is worse than places they could train offsite.
Strength coaches (C-)
— Only 65% of players feel like they get an individualized plan (31st overall).
— The players feel that the strength coaches moderately contribute to their success (31st overall).
Team travel (D)
— The players’ ratings of their travel schedule position it as the second worst in the league.
— Only 73% of the players feel like they have a comfortable amount of personal space (23rd overall).
— The Patriots do not make any players have roommates before games.
Head coach (B-)
— Only 55% of players feel that former head coach Bill Belichick was efficient with their time (31st overall).
— The players feel that Belichick was rarely willing to listen to the locker room (31st overall).
Ownership (D+)
— Club owner Robert Kraft receives a rating of 6.9/10 from Patriots players when considering his willingness to invest in the facilities (27th overall).
New England Is Working on Certain Improvements
The Patriots know they need to get better. Part of their stadium renovation includes relocation and improvement of training facilities, including the building of a new weight room. That project is still in progress but should be completed in time for next season.
Additionally, there are signs that new head coach Jerod Mayo will be more accommodating to players’ needs and able to connect with a younger generation. De facto general manager Eliot Wolf also said the organization will have less of a “hard a– vibe” with Belichick out of the picture.
KEEP READING: Cincinnati Bengals Receive F Grades in Key Categories of NFLPA Survey
So, don’t be surprised if New England fares much better on next year’s NFLPA report card. But this year’s version is a complete disaster.
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