NFL Prevails in Grievance Against NFLPA Over Team Report Cards

The league's victory means the player-led assessments will no longer be made public, impacting player decisions and team operations.

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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The NFL has prevailed in its grievance against the NFLPA over the public release of team report cards, which provided player-led assessments of working conditions at each franchise. An arbitrator ruled that the NFLPA's conduct in publishing the report cards violated the collective bargaining agreement, and has ordered the union to stop making them public moving forward. This decision will have direct implications for the Cleveland Browns, who finished near the bottom of the league in the report card rankings.

Why it matters

The team report cards were seen as a valuable tool for players to evaluate their working conditions and help raise standards across the league. With the reports now being kept private, it could impact how players view potential destinations in trades, the draft, and free agency, as details about a team's facilities, treatment of families, and other off-field factors will no longer be publicly available.

The details

The Browns finished 30th out of 32 teams in the report card rankings, with poor marks in areas like family treatment and dining facilities, though they received an A- grade for their weight room. The Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, meanwhile, ranked 15th. The report cards were based on feedback from 1,695 players about their current teams, with grades given on a scale of A-F.

  • On February 13, 2026, the NFL informed all 32 teams that it had prevailed in its grievance against the NFLPA over the public release of team report cards.
  • An arbitrator determined that the NFLPA's conduct in publishing the report cards violated the collective bargaining agreement and ordered the union to stop making them public in the future.

The players

Kevin Stefanski

Former two-time NFL Coach of the Year Award winner who was fired as head coach of the Cleveland Browns.

Todd Monken

The new head coach of the Cleveland Browns, replacing the fired Kevin Stefanski.

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What’s next

It will be interesting to see if the non-public nature of the team report cards impacts how players view potential destinations in trades, the draft, and free agency moving forward, as details about a team's facilities and off-field factors will no longer be publicly available.

The takeaway

The NFL's victory in its grievance against the NFLPA over the public release of team report cards represents a significant shift in the transparency around player working conditions across the league. While the reports will continue to be conducted, their non-public nature could have far-reaching implications for how players evaluate potential destinations and team operations going forward.