New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara responded with sharp sarcasm after the NFL won a grievance against the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), which had been releasing annual team report cards. Insider Adam Schefter revealed that a league arbitrator ruled the NFLPA violated the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) by publicly sharing the grades, ordering them to discontinue this practice.
Kamara took to Twitter shortly after the decision was announced on Friday, joking about what might happen if players started issuing their own grades on their teams. He posted tweets that humorously evaluated the Saints’ practice field.
Player Sarcasm Highlights the Practice Field’s Condition
Kamara playfully quoted a report that
“the grass in New Orleans does in fact smell like grass,”
a nod to the obvious but delivered with a mocking tone about the Saints’ environment. The five-time Pro Bowler didn’t hold back when assigning the practice field a poor grade.
“‘A source close to the organization confirmed that the grass in New Orleans does in fact smell like grass. Thinks shaking up for the saints’ – @MikeTriplett,” Kamara wrote.
“(New Orleans) Practice field: hot, itchy. Smells like grass F+ Reported by @AdamSchefter.”
NFLPA Says Report Cards Will Continue Privately Despite Court Ruling
Although the NFL’s grievance victory restricts the NFLPA from making these evaluations public, the players’ union announced it will still distribute report cards to all player members internally. The NFLPA emphasized confidence in their evaluation process, highlighting it as fair and increasingly positive over time, underscoring their dedication to ensuring players’ locker room experiences are acknowledged.
“The Report Cards are not going away. They will be shared with all player members. Our process and methodology remains strong. The ruling found the Report Cards to be fair, balanced, and increasingly positive over time. We remain committed to making sure your experiences in the locker room are heard.”
Examining Alvin Kamara’s 2025 Season with the Saints
Kamara’s 2025 season marked his ninth year with the New Orleans Saints. Under the leadership of first-year head coach Kellen Moore, the Saints ended last in the NFC South with a 6-11 record, extending their playoff drought to five consecutive seasons since their 2020 wild-card loss to Tampa Bay. Over 11 games, Kamara rushed for 471 yards and scored one touchdown before an MCL sprain sidelined him for the final six weeks.
Drafted 67th overall in 2017, Kamara has amassed notable career statistics, including 7,250 rushing yards with 61 touchdowns and 4,948 receiving yards coupled with 25 receiving touchdowns, cementing his role as a key player for the franchise.
Context on the Impact of the NFLPA-NFL Dispute and Player Voices
The NFL’s stance against publicly releasing team report cards reflects ongoing tensions between the league and the players’ union regarding transparency and player representation. Alvin Kamara’s sarcastic critique of the Saints’ practice conditions underlines growing player frustrations amid a challenging season. Meanwhile, the NFLPA’s decision to continue report card distribution internally ensures that player feedback remains a priority, even as public disclosure is curtailed.
As the Saints aim to improve on the field, the interaction between players’ public expressions and league policies will continue to influence the narrative around team performance and player satisfaction in the coming seasons.
Sources: The NFL informed all 32 teams today in a memo that it prevailed in its grievance vs. the NFLPA and its “team report cards.” An arbitrator determined that the NFLPA’s conduct violated the CBA and ordered it to stop making public any future report cards. pic.twitter.com/mss5WUQjhF
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 13, 2026
The Report Cards are not going away.
-They will be shared with all player members.
-Our process and methodology remains strong.
-The ruling found the Report Cards to be fair, balanced, and increasingly positive over time.
-We remain committed to making sure your experiences…
— NFLPA (@NFLPA) February 13, 2026
