On Wednesday, we found out that for the third consecutive year, the Patriots received among the worst report cards in the NFL from their players.
With the release of the NFLPA’s annual “Team Report Card,” New England ranked 31st out of 32 teams.
31st is down from a ranking of 29th in 2024, which was also down from a ranking of 24th in 2023.
For a franchise in desperate need of a facelift on the field, they’re continuing to head in the wrong direction off of it, according to its players.
Here’s a ranking and grading breakdown for all the major categories for the Patriots on the 2025 NFLPA Team Report Card:
- Weight Room: F (32nd)
- Team Travel: F (31st)
- Ownership: D (29th)
- Training Room: C- (30th)
- Locker Room: C- (22nd)
- Food/Dining Area: C (24th)
- Treatment of Families: C+ (18th)
- Strength Coaches: B (26th)
- Nutritionist/Dietician: B (25th)
- Head Coach: B+ (24th)
While there’s a lot to unpack in all of these categories, ownership receiving a “D” is probably most notable.
Here’s the full breakdown of that category from the report card:
“Owner Robert Kraft’s average rating for perceived willingness to invest in the facilities is 6.15 out of 10 from the Patriots players, a ranking of 28 out of 32 owners in the league.
“The players feel that Kraft slightly contributes to a positive team culture, a rank of 30 out of 32.
“The players feel that Kraft is somewhat committed to building a competitive team, a rank of 30 of the 32 NFL owners.”
With the weight room being ranked dead last in the league, along with all other facility-related categories between 22nd and 30th, it was noted at the top of the Patriots’ report card that the team of building a new $50 million facility adjacent to the stadium, which broke ground in December and is slated to be opened for use in 2026. So, in theory, those rankings will improve for New England in the future.
It’s also notable that the team saw significant improvement from last year’s report card in the treatment of families.
The report card read, “After receiving an F- last year for their treatment of players’ families, the team made immediate improvements, including hiring a staff member to manage family services and adding a family room and daycare during games. These changes were well received, and players believe that family support is now the team’s biggest strength.”
With the Patriots having a league-leading $123 million in cap space heading into free agency, grades like these could be a major detriment to the recruiting process of top-tier talent. And with head coach Mike Vrabel telling the media at the NFL Draft Combine on Tuesday that the team wants to be aggressive on the free agent market this offseason, they may need to open the checkbook even more to combat some of these systemic, albeit correctable, issues with the franchise.