New England Patriots
The Patriots have hovered around a bottom-10 ranking over the last three NFLPA report cards.
The Patriots rose in the latest NFLPA report card grading, but only by a few spots. Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
The 2025 season was a resounding success for the Patriots, who went from a four-win club in 2024 to winning the AFC East, posting a 14-3 regular-season record, and making it all the way to Super Bowl LX.
But, despite that success on the field, New England still has work to do when it comes to earning high marks in the NFL Players Association’s (NFLPA) annual report cards.
The report card, which grades and assesses each of the 32 teams in NFL based the ratings and grades from more than 1,700 players, hasn’t been too kind to New England over the years.
Perhaps due to those unflattering results announced about NFL team’s various faults — including poor facilities and lackluster travel resources — the NFLPA did not release the results of the 2026 report cards after the NFL filed a grievance.
While an arbitrator found that the report cards violated the league’s collective bargaining agreement by “disparaging NFL clubs and individuals,” results could only be collected, not made public.
That didn’t stop the results from being leaked to ESPN and several other outlets on Thursday, with New England once again reportedly earning lackluster results this past season.
Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald reportedly acquired a copy of the 2026 NFLPA report card, with the Patriots ranking 26 out of 32 teams in the league across a variety of rankings.
It’s actually an improvement for New England. After ranking 29th out of 32 teams in the 2024 report cards, New England plummeted to 31st in the NFL in 2025 before making limited gains with these 2026 results.
Here are the various grades that New England received from this past season, per ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler:
Treatment of Families: B
Home Game Field: D
Food/Dining Area: D+
Nutritionist/Dietician: B
Locker Room: C-
Training Room: C-
Training Staff: B
Weight Room: C-
Strength Coaches: A-
Position Coaches: B-
Offensive Coordinator: A
Defensive Coordinator: B
Special Teams Coordinator: B+
Team Travel: F
Head Coach: A
General Manager: B+
Team Ownership: B-
According to Kyed, the unreleased report card for the Patriots took the team to task for its poor travel resources, especially a team plane that ranked last in the grading results from the previous year.
However, the report card noted that the Patriots appear to be on an upward trajectory due to both 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.
“While the team has consistently ranked among the lowest in the league, players note signs of progress,” the report card read, per Kyed. “A new facility is scheduled to open for the 2026 season, which is expected to address the team’s current facility shortcomings, including bottom-5 ratings for the weight room, training room and practice fields.
“The Patriots’ travel remains a significant concern. The team airplane ranks last in the league, with players citing outdated conditions, lack of Wi-Fi and insufficient space, with one player describing the plane as feeling ‘borderline unsafe.’ Players also report ongoing issues with the food program, which receives low scores for quality, variety, and nutritional value due to reliance on offsite-meal preparation.”
Kyed noted that Patriots team ownership rose from a D grade to a B- — but the Krafts still ranked in the bottom 10 when it came to willingness to invest in team facilities.
The Miami Dolphins ranked first in the 2026 NFLPA report cards, followed by the Minnesota Vikings and Washington Commanders. The Pittsburgh Steelers ranked last for the first time since the NFLPA report cards were first announced four years ago.
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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