NFL Wins Grievance Against NFLPA Over Team Report Cards

League prohibits public release of player-driven team evaluations

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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The NFL has won its arbitration case against the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) over the annual publication of "Team Report Cards" that graded NFL teams on various workplace factors. An arbitrator ruled that the NFLPA's conduct in releasing the report cards violated the collective bargaining agreement, and ordered the NFLPA to stop publicly disclosing the results of future player surveys.

Why it matters

The report cards provided transparency into how players viewed their working conditions and treatment by teams, which the league argued was an unfair portrayal. The decision raises questions about player empowerment and the ability to hold teams accountable for providing adequate facilities and resources for players.

The details

The NFLPA began publishing the player-driven team report cards in 2023, with over 1,000 active players grading teams on factors like quality of locker rooms, treatment of families, and ownership. The league argued the NFLPA "cherry-picked" which topics and responses to include, and that players themselves had no say in the final write-ups. The arbitrator sided with the NFL, ruling the report cards violated the CBA.

  • The NFL informed teams of the grievance win on February 13, 2026.
  • The NFLPA began publishing the team report cards in 2023.

The players

J.J. Watt

Former NFL defender who protested the grievance decision on social media.

Cameron Jordan

Saints defensive end who criticized the NFL's handling of the NFLPA report cards.

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What they’re saying

“NFL won't let actual players grade the workplace they attend every single day, but they'll allow a 3rd party 'grading' service to display their 'rankings' of players on national television every Sunday night…”

— J.J. Watt, Former NFL Defender (X)

“The NFL is upset that Teams have been graded, judged and coerced to update to facilities, training staffs, weight rooms. Necessities to keep the modern NFL athlete top tier.”

— Cameron Jordan, Saints Defensive End (Twitter)

What’s next

The NFLPA stated that while the report card results will no longer be made public, the player survey program will continue, and players will still receive the results privately.

The takeaway

This decision highlights the ongoing tension between players and the league over workplace transparency and accountability. While the NFL prevailed in blocking the public release of the report cards, the NFLPA vowed to continue surveying players and sharing the results directly with teams, underscoring the importance players place on having a voice in their working conditions.