The NFL filed a grievance against the NFL Players Association demanding the union stop its annual team report cards, according to documents obtained by ESPN. The league claims the survey violates the collective bargaining agreement by airing public criticism of teams and their operations.
The NFL\'s management council sent a letter to NFLPA general counsel Tom DePaso in August citing a CBA clause. The clause requires both sides to \"use reasonable efforts to curtail public comments by club personnel or players which express criticism of any club, its coach, or its operation and policy.\"
The NFLPA alerted players of the grievance last week and confirmed plans to proceed with this year\'s survey. The union defended the report cards as an effective tool for comparing workplace standards across the league.
\"We have responded to the grievance with our intention to fight against this action and continue what\'s clearly become an effective tool for comparing workplace standards across the league and equipping you to make informed career decisions,\" the NFLPA wrote in an email to players.
The league twice asked the union to suspend the survey in 2024 and June 2025. Sources told ESPN the NFL wants the issue heard by an arbitrator in December with a decision by February 2026.
New York Jets chairman Woody Johnson, who received a D or worse ownership grade, called the survey \"totally bogus\" at the March league meeting. Johnson questioned the data collection methods and suggested the process violated the CBA agreement.
\"And that was violated, in my opinion,\" Johnson said. \"I think there are a lot of owners that looked at that survey and said this is not fair, it\'s not balanced, it\'s not every player, it\'s not even representative of the players.\"
In 2025, 1,695 players responded to the surveys grading franchises from A to F on workplace conditions. The Minnesota Vikings and Miami Dolphins earned the highest marks. Team executives told ESPN they value the feedback but want specific data rather than general grades that embarrass teams without identifying improvement areas.