The NFL has escalated a labor fight into arbitration by filing a formal grievance that seeks to halt the NFLPA’s annual team report cards. The league argues the player-produced grades cross a line in the collective bargaining agreement by publicly criticizing clubs. The move follows public owner unrest, notably from New York Jets chairman Woody Johnson, after several owners, including Johnson, received poor marks from their locker rooms. The dispute could reach an arbitrator in December, with a hoped-for ruling by February 2026.
Why Owners Push Back, How Players Say Grades Drive Change?
Jets Owner Woody Johnson Says Its Tough When Your Quarterback Has That Rating
Jets Owner Woody Johnson Says Its Tough When Your Quarterback Has That Rating (Image via X/@BartolottaNews)
League documents obtained byESPN show the NFL’s management council told the union the report cards violate a CBA clause that requires “reasonable efforts to curtail public comments” that criticize a club. The league also flagged that its triennial, jointly run survey, last completed in 2015, is meant to be the formal mechanism for assessing player care, and that the independent report-card exercise has undermined that process.
Ownership officials pushed back because the grades are broad and omit the underlying data that teams say they need to fix problems. Executives told ESPN the report cards can embarrass franchises without offering actionable feedback. Still, the NFLPA says the survey has produced measurable change: its memo cites nine teams that increased their family-services grades by two or more steps and 12 teams that improved their travel scores similarly.
Player participation was substantial this year. A league-wide 1,695 players completed the questionnaire in 2025, producing rankings that placed the Minnesota Vikings and Miami Dolphins at the top of workplace environment scores. Ownership praise went to Zygi Wilf, Stephen Ross, and Arthur Blank, each earning A-plus marks from their rosters.
The grievance also has a clear political edge. Sources told ESPN that Woody Johnson, who received an F from his players, publicly labeled the exercise“totally bogus” at an owners meeting and is one of the drivers behind management’s legal response. The comment reflected more than personal offense; it set the tone for ownership’s argument that the survey’s methodology and sample do not meet the league’s standards.
Johnson’s remark, explained: he believes the survey’s collection methods and participant selection stray from the CBA’s agreed process, and that the absence of joint oversight makes the results unreliable and unfair to clubs. He went on to say the owners he has spoken with question its representativeness.
The NFLPA has informed players that it will contest the grievance and proceed with this year’s report card cycle, stating that the grades serve as a practical benchmark for workplace conditions and for players making career decisions. An arbitrator’s ruling will determine whether those public grades survive or are legally barred moving forward.