CINCINNATI — The days of scrolling through social media to see your favorite team getting dunked on for having a rat-infested locker room are over. In a massive win for ownership—and a crushing blow to transparency—the NFL won its grievance Friday against the NFLPA, effectively banning the public release of the annual “Team Report Cards.”
For the Cincinnati Bengals, this ruling couldn’t have come at a better time. After three straight years of getting dragged for their “Treatment of Families,” the franchise can finally breathe. No more viral graphics showing an “F-” next to the team logo. The grades still exist, but now they’ll stay locked behind closed doors.
The Shield Shields Its Owners
The arbitrator’s decision on Friday hinged on the idea that the union “cherry-picked” responses to disparage clubs. While the NFLPA claims the survey data is scientific, the league argued it was a weaponized PR campaign written by union staffers. The result? The owners got exactly what they wanted: silence.
The ramifications are huge. Public pressure works. You don’t have to look further than Paycor Stadium to see it.
The ‘F’ That Sparked a Renovation
Cincinnati’s report card history reads like a rollercoaster. In 2023, the locker room was a relic from the early 2000s. Players hated it. The team got a D+. Public mockery ensued. Fast forward to the 2025 report card, and that grade skyrocketed to an A+ following a massive renovation.
Would that overhaul have happened without the world pointing and laughing? Maybe. But the timeline suggests the public shaming lit a fire under the front office.
The same goes for team travel. Cincinnati jumped from a C to an A- in 2025. When the dirty laundry is aired, teams clean it. Now, with the public blindfolded, fans have to wonder if that momentum will stall.
Family Matters (And Why Cincy Got Lucky)
While the locker room got a facelift, one area remained a disaster: “Treatment of Families.”
- 2023: F
- 2024: F-
- 2025: F-
This wasn’t just a bad grade; it was an embarrassment. Players blasted the lack of daycare, the absence of a family room, and a general vibe that the organization didn’t care about their wives and children. Being the only team to fail this category three years running is a tough look.
Now, Mike Brown and the Blackburn family don’t have to worry about an “F-” trending on X (formerly Twitter) next week. The pressure valve is released.
“It’s not just about comfort; it’s about respect. When you see other teams taking care of their people and you’re fighting for basic daycare, it wears on you. The renovations were great, but we still have a long way to go with the family stuff.”
— Anonymous Bengals Veteran, 2025 Season
The Dietician Drama
The 2025 report card also flagged the “Food/Dining” category with a brutal F. The complaints? No three-meals-a-day option and the worst food freshness score in the league. Players specifically requested that consultant dietician Lindsay Langford be hired full-time.
Credit where it’s due: The Bengals listened. Langford was brought on as a full-time employee last year. It’s another example of the report cards working as intended. The question is, would they have made that hire if the “F” grade hadn’t been plastered all over ESPN?
What’s Next?
The NFLPA says the surveys will continue, but the results will stay internal. That changes the leverage game entirely. Agents will still see the data and steer free agents away from “F-” facilities, but the public relations nightmare is gone for owners.
For Cincinnati, this is a clean slate. They’ve objectively improved—the locker room is elite, and the staffing is getting better. But without the threat of a public report card, we’ll see if they finally fix the family treatment issues, or if that F- grade becomes a permanent, secret stain on the franchise.
