The New England Patriots have once again found themselves near the bottom of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) report card rankings for the 2026 season. According to results obtained by the Herald’s Doug Kyed, the Patriots placed 26th out of 32 teams, highlighting ongoing concerns about player conditions despite some noted improvements from the previous year.
The rankings come from a survey completed by over 1,700 NFL players, examining various elements such as travel arrangements, training facilities, and nutrition. While the Patriots made some progress compared to last year’s second-worst rating, several aspects, including their travel and weight room amenities, remain heavily criticized.
Facility Shortcomings and Travel Issues Draw Criticism
The Patriots’ current facilities scored among the league’s lowest, especially in areas like the weight room, training room, and practice fields. The team is expecting to open a new facility in the 2026 season, which is anticipated to address many of these shortcomings.
The team’s travel situation is described as particularly problematic. Players rated the team airplane as the worst in the NFL, citing outdated conditions, cramped spaces, and a lack of Wi-Fi. One player even described the plane as feeling “borderline unsafe.”
The Patriots’ travel remains a significant concern. The team airplane ranks last in the league, with players citing outdated conditions, lack of Wi-Fi and insufficient space, with one player describing the plane as feeling ‘borderline unsafe.’ Players also report ongoing issues with the food program, which receives low scores for quality, variety, and nutritional value due to reliance on offsite-meal preparation.
— Anonymous Player
In addition to travel woes, the Patriots’ food program garnered poor reviews, with players expressing dissatisfaction over the quality, nutritional value, and limited variety in meals, largely because most food is prepared offsite.
Mixed Feedback on Coaching and Player Support
Despite many negative marks, the Patriots earned higher praise for their treatment of families and coaching staff this year. First-year head coach Mike Vrabel received significant recognition from players for cultivating an improved team culture, showing openness to feedback, and organizing practices efficiently.
Vrabel stood out with a top-10 ranking in both practice organization and player development, helping raise the team’s scores in leadership categories. The team’s offensive coordinator also ranked highly, coming in third among all coordinators, while Josh McDaniels earned the highest marks among assistant coaches in the newly introduced NFLPA assistant coach ratings.
Ownership improved its rating from a D to a B-, although the Kraft family still ranked in the bottom 10 when it came to willingness to invest in facility upgrades.
Detailed Patriots Ratings Highlight Areas for Improvement
The full breakdown of the Patriots’ grades and rankings reveals persistent weakness in several key areas:
- Treatment of families: B, 12th place
- Food/Dining area: D+, 29th place
- Nutritionist/Dietician: B, 26th place
- Locker room: C-, 21st place
- Training room: C-, 28th place
- Training staff: B, 24th place
- Weight room: C-, 31st place
- Strength coaches: A-, 24th place
- Team travel: F, 30th place
- Head coach: A, 8th place
- Ownership: B-, 24th place
- Position coaches: B-, 28th place
- Offensive coordinator: A, 3rd place
- Defensive coordinator: B, 23rd place
- Special teams coordinator: B+, 24th place
- General manager: B+, 22nd place
- Home game field: D, 22nd place
Notably, the Patriots’ weight room and training room continue to rank near the lowest in the league, while the quality of the team’s food and dining experience took a further dip from last season. However, strength coaches improved significantly after reshuffling staff, moving to an A- grade from a former B rating.
Executive Management Faces Player Development Critiques
The Patriots’ executive vice president of player personnel, Eliot Wolf, received low marks from players for his role in player development and handling of injured or supported players, placing him in the bottom 10 in those categories. Despite this, Wolf’s overall rating remained relatively strong, above an 8.5 out of 10 score.
Comparison with Other NFL Teams in 2026 NFLPA Rankings
Among all NFL teams, the Miami Dolphins earned the highest overall working conditions ranking, followed closely by the Minnesota Vikings and Washington Commanders. Conversely, the Pittsburgh Steelers dropped to the last place for the first time since this survey began four years ago.
Confidentiality of NFLPA Report Card Due to Legal Dispute
The NFLPA did not officially release the 2026 report card publicly after the NFL filed a grievance, claiming that the survey violated the collective bargaining agreement. An arbitrator sided with the league, allowing the NFLPA to continue gathering player responses but preventing them from making the results public.
Despite this, the copy obtained by Doug Kyed offers a rare glimpse into how players currently view the Patriots’ organization, highlighting areas in urgent need of attention as the team prepares for improvements with its new facility.
