Patriots reportedly remain bottom-10 team in NFLPA report card

The 2025 season was a powerful success for the Patriots, who went from a four-win membership in 2024 to successful the AFC East, posting a 14-3 regular-season report, and making all of it the best way to Tremendous Bowl LX. 

However, regardless of that success on the sector, New England nonetheless has work to do in terms of incomes excessive marks within the NFL Gamers Affiliation’s (NFLPA) annual report playing cards.

The report card, which grades and assesses every of the 32 groups in NFL primarily based the rankings and grades from greater than 1,700 gamers, hasn’t been too variety to New England through the years. 

Maybe as a result of these unflattering outcomes introduced about NFL group’s numerous faults — together with poor services and lackluster journey sources — the NFLPA didn’t launch the outcomes of the 2026 report playing cards after the NFL filed a grievance. 

Whereas an arbitrator discovered that the report playing cards violated the league’s collective bargaining settlement by “disparaging NFL golf equipment and people,” outcomes might solely be collected, not made public. 

That didn’t cease the outcomes from being leaked to ESPN and a number of other different retailers on Thursday, with New England as soon as once more reportedly incomes lackluster outcomes this previous season. 

Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald reportedly acquired a duplicate of the 2026 NFLPA report card, with the Patriots rating 26 out of 32 groups within the league throughout a wide range of rankings. 

It’s truly an enchancment for New England. After ranking 29th out of 32 teams within the 2024 report playing cards, New England plummeted to 31st in the NFL in 2025 earlier than making restricted beneficial properties with these 2026 outcomes. 

Listed below are the varied grades that New England obtained from this previous season, per ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler:

Remedy of Households: B
Dwelling Sport Discipline: D
Meals/Eating Space: D+
Nutritionist/Dietician: B
Locker Room: C-
Coaching Room: C-
Coaching Employees: B
Weight Room: C-
Power Coaches: A-
Place Coaches: B-
Offensive Coordinator: A
Defensive Coordinator: B
Particular Groups Coordinator: B+
Group Journey: F
Head Coach: A
Basic Supervisor: B+
Group Possession: B-

In line with Kyed, the unreleased report card for the Patriots took the group to job for its poor journey sources, particularly a group aircraft that ranked final within the grading outcomes from the earlier yr.

Nonetheless, the report card famous that the Patriots look like on an upward trajectory as a result of each the arrival of Mike Vrabel as head coach and a new team facility that is set to open for the start of the 2026 season. 

“Whereas the group has persistently ranked among the many lowest within the league, gamers observe indicators of progress,” the report card learn, per Kyed. “A brand new facility is scheduled to open for the 2026 season, which is anticipated to handle the group’s present facility shortcomings, together with bottom-5 rankings for the load room, coaching room and apply fields.

“The Patriots’ journey stays a major concern. The group airplane ranks final within the league, with gamers citing outdated circumstances, lack of Wi-Fi and inadequate house, with one participant describing the aircraft as feeling ‘borderline unsafe.’ Gamers additionally report ongoing points with the meals program, which receives low scores for high quality, selection, and dietary worth as a result of reliance on offsite-meal preparation.”

Kyed famous that Patriots group possession rose from a D grade to a B- — however the Krafts nonetheless ranked within the backside 10 when it got here to willingness to spend money on group services.

The Miami Dolphins ranked first within the 2026 NFLPA report playing cards, adopted by the Minnesota Vikings and Washington Commanders. The Pittsburgh Steelers ranked final for the primary time for the reason that NFLPA report playing cards have been first introduced 4 years in the past. 

 

Conor Ryan is a workers author protecting the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Pink Sox for Boston.com, a task he has held since 2023.