The first results of the NFL Report Cards collected by the NFL Players Association’s (NFLPA) annual report cards have begun to be released, with the Miami Dolphins being the big positive highlight, taking first place for the third consecutive year as the best place to work.
On the other hand, some of the more competitive franchises ended up with very negative rankings and reports of serious problems with their internal structure.
The Pittsburgh Steelers Are the NFL Team with the Worst Professional Environment
The survey, which collected anonymous responses from hundreds of athletes, evaluated criteria such as family treatment, meal quality, locker room infrastructure, and the competence of the medical and physical training teams.
According to ESPN’s reports, the Pittsburgh Steelers received the lowest ratings, ranking as the worst professional environment among the league’s 32 teams. The franchise was criticized mainly for the “obsolescence of its facilities” and the “lack of investment in basic areas” of player support.
Historically, the Steelers (who rank No. 14 in the PFSN Offense Impact metric with a C grade) are one of the most successful franchises in the NFL, but the NFLPA report reveals that their infrastructure is stuck in the past. The most striking criticisms were the lack of locker room space and the inferior quality of the gym equipment.
Everything indicates that the Steelers relied too much on their historical prestige, built on results on the field, to attract players, neglecting the everyday comforts that newer teams prioritize. The second-worst franchise in the NFLPA survey was the Arizona Cardinals, ranked only 31st among the best teams, while the Cleveland Browns appeared in the same 30th place in 2025.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, the Dolphins have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in state-of-the-art training centers in recent years. In the survey, players highlighted that the franchise goes to great lengths to ensure elite recovery and comfort, earning top marks in almost every category. The Minnesota Vikings and Washington Commanders round out the top three.
Understanding the Grades In The NFLPA Survey
The NFLPA survey assigns grades from A+ to F in 11 specific categories, with some of the key points consisting of the quality and personalization of the diet offered at training centers, the availability of daycare centers and waiting rooms for wives and children during games, and ensuring that players can have individual hotel rooms when traveling.
These rankings have a direct impact on player recruitment. In the past, a player would choose a team solely based on salary or the chance to win the Super Bowl. However, with this survey in hand, many elite athletes avoid signing with teams with poor reputations in the NFLPA results, forcing owners to invest in improvements to remain competitive in the pursuit of talent.
NFL Prohibited Public Disclosure of NFLPA Results in 2026
NFLPA results used to be public, but that won’t be the case this time. According to ESPN, the results based on responses from 1,759 players (from the 2025 rosters) will remain confidential, following a grievance filed by the NFL, which claimed “the survey violated the collective bargaining agreement.”
