Players Association survey grades Texans highly

NFL teams don’t hang banners for how well they treat players, but the NFL Players Association thinks highly of how the Texans do things, at least off the field.

The NFLPA surveyed active players in an effort to give its union a sort of free agency guide, letting it know how players are treated by each team when it comes to eight facets: Treatment of families, food service/nutrition, weight room, strength coaches, training room, training staff, locker room and team travel.

In the survey answered by 1,300 players, the Texans were one of just four teams to receive at least a B grade in each category. The Vikings, Raiders and Giants were the only other organizations to get such consistently high grades.

The Texans also got the fourth-highest overall grade. The Vikings — who ranked first in strength coaches, training room, training staff and locker room — came in with the best overall grade, followed by the Dolphins, Raiders, Texans and Cowboys.

The Commanders, who received one F and three F-minuses, came in last. The Arizona Cardinals were 31st with two Fs and three F-minuses.

The Texans ranked the highest in training staff and team travel where they were tied for first in the league. The team’s weight room was ranked fifth, as was its treatment of families. The food service and training were ranked eighth and the strength coaches and locker room were 10th.

According to the NFLPA, the Texans got high marks for travel because every player gets their own room on the road and only rookies have to stay in the team hotel for home games and during training camp. Travel is what held back the Cowboys’ overall grade as it was pointed out they’re one of just seven teams that don’t offer first-class seats to players. The Cowboys got a C-minus in travel and a B in training room, but at least an Aminus in everything else.

The Texans, run by Cal McNair, did get dinged a bit in the survey for being one of only two teams without a sauna or steam room at their facility and there were some complaints of showers not working properly.

“As one would expect for a team with ratings this high, 97 percent of the locker room believes the McNairs are willing to invest money into upgrading the facilities,” the survey concluded.

The Chiefs, who just won the Super Bowl, finished 29th in the survey, getting an F in travel partly because they’re one of just six teams that makes young players have roommates on the road.