NFL’s latest win over NFLPA might silence transparency around the league

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13 February 2026 at 20:37

The NFL secured a major win over the NFL Players Association on Friday. A couple of months after the league filed a grievance, it won it.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Friday that the league sent a memo to owners, announcing that they won the grievance, and the annual team report cards violated the CBA. The NFLPA won’t be able to make future report cards public.

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“We are pleased with the decision from the arbitrator, upholding the parties’ collective bargaining agreement and prohibiting the NFLPA from disparaging our clubs and individuals through ‘report cards’ allegedly based on data and methodologies that it has steadfastly refused to disclose. . . . We remain committed to working in partnership with the NFLPA and an independent survey company to develop and administer a scientifically valid survey to solicit accurate and reliable player feedback as the parties agreed in the CBA,” the memo read.

Sources: The NFL informed all 32 teams today in a memo that it prevailed in its grievance vs. the NFLPA and its “team report cards.” An arbitrator determined that the NFLPA’s conduct violated the CBA and ordered it to stop making public any future report cards. pic.twitter.com/mss5WUQjhF
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 13, 2026

Some owners clearly hated the report cards. They were effective for some franchises that made changes, but others acted like they didn’t care or took issue with players holding them accountable instead of bettering their facilities and treatment of players and their families.

Not having the team report cards every year will have negative consequences for those pushing for changes within their franchises, while owners could overlook glaring issues, as the public eye can’t criticize them like before.

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Several teams improved after the annual team report cards started coming out

The NFLPA logo at press conference at the Super Bowl LIX media center at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Multiple team owners paid attention to what their players expressed on the annual team report cards. The Los Angeles Chargers jumped from 30th to fifth after they built a new training facility. The Washington Commanders went from last place to 11th after improving travel, food, family and childcare.

The Atlanta Falcons went from 25th to third following improvements in their weight room, locker room and dining categories.

Other teams made minor improvements that showed a willingness to make life easier for their players. However, some criticized the team’s report cards. New York Jets owner Woody Johnson labeled it as “bogus” after getting an F in the 2025 report card.

He was reportedly a strong advocate for shutting down the cards. The league got a big win, and some might be over the moon with the decision.