Patriots receive low marks from players
INDIANAPOLIS — Patriots players remained dissatisfied with multiple aspects of their experience in Foxborough, according to a survey conducted by the NFL Players Association.
The Patriots ranked 29th overall, better than only the Chargers (30th), Chiefs (31st), and Commanders (32nd).
The NFLPA graded all teams on 11 categories: treatment of families, food/cafeteria, nutritionist/dietician, locker room, weight room, strength coaches, training room, training staff, team travel, head coach, and owner. The survey, dubbed “Club Report Cards,” is intended to “illuminate the daily experience” for players and families.
The Patriots’ worst categories were treatment of families, which got an F-minus and ranked 30th; weight room, which got an F and ranked 32nd; head coach, which got a B-minus and ranked 27th; and ownership, which got a D-plus and ranked 27 th.
According to the survey, only 55 percent of Patriots players last year felt former coach Bill Belichick was efficient with his time. The players also felt that Belichick was “rarely” willing to listen to the locker room. Both marks ranked 31st in the league.
Players gave owner Robert Kraft a 6.9 out of 10 when assessing his “willingness to invest in the facilities.” That mark ranked 27 th.
Head coach is a new category for the survey, so there are no data on Belichick from 2023. The wording in the ownership category changed slightly from 2023, as 64 percent of Patriots expressed confidence last year that Kraft would be “willing to spend the money necessary for upgrades,” which ranked 26th in the league.
The Patriots did not improve in any of the eight categories that received grades last year.
Training staff declined the most, dropping from ninth to 25th (A to B-minus). The team continued to receive low marks on locker room (20th, C-minus), training room (22nd, C), weight room (32nd, F), and strength coaches (31st, C-minus).
The bulk of the complaints about the facilities pertain to space and quality of equipment. According to the survey, “a number of players report outdated treatment options” and “the training room lacks the equipment that players feel should be standard across the league.”
The Patriots are the only team in the league with a majority of players feeling their team’s facility is worse than places they could train off-site. Only 65 percent of players felt they received an individualized strength plan.
The Patriots’ treatment of families also declined significantly, from 22nd to 30th (C-minus to F-minus). The Patriots are one of 12 teams that do not provide a family room during games, one of seven that do not provide day care for players’ children during games, and one of four that do not offer either resource.
The Patriots’ best category was food/cafeteria, which earned a B-minus and ranked 15th. Their nutritionist/dietician also received a B-minus, ranking 20th.
As for travel, the Patriots earned a D and ranked 24th. The players’ ratings of their travel schedule were the secondworst in the league.
The Patriots declined to comment on the results.
This year, 1,706 active players completed the survey for a 77 percent response rate.