NEW YORK — The shield tried to protect its own, but the truth always gets out. Just days after the NFL won a legal grievance to block the release of the 2026 NFLPA report cards, the full list of grades leaked to ESPN. Players didn’t hold back. They graded their employers across 17 different categories, but the most telling metric is how they rated the men holding the clipboards. The head coach grades are officially public.
For the 2025 season, the NFLPA collected responses from 1,759 active players between November 2 and December 11. The results strip away the podium coach-speak and give us the raw, unfiltered reality of NFL locker rooms. Two head coaches aced the test with an A+. One failed miserably with a C-.
The A-Plus Club: McVay and Quinn Earn Ultimate Respect
You can script a brilliant opening drive, but if the locker room doesn’t buy what you are selling, the season falls apart. Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams and Dan Quinn of the Washington Commanders secured the only pristine A+ grades from their players.
McVay continues to master the balance of demanding perfection while treating his roster like adults. Meanwhile, Quinn’s grade in Washington proves his reputation as a genuine players’ coach isn’t just media hype. I spent time around the Commanders’ facility late last season, and you could feel the shift in energy. Players walked into the building with a purpose. Quinn respects their time, communicates directly, and builds a culture where veterans and rookies alike feel heard.
The C-Minus Failure: What Went Wrong for Stefanski?
At the bottom of the barrel sits Kevin Stefanski. The former Cleveland Browns head coach received a brutal C-, the lowest mark handed out to any of the 32 head coaches.
It is a stunning drop for a guy who holds two AP NFL Coach of the Year awards. But winning awards doesn’t mean winning the locker room. The disconnect in Cleveland reached a boiling point during the 2025 campaign. Players cited poor communication and a harsh environment. Stefanski was abruptly fired after the season. He recently landed on his feet in Atlanta, but that C- grade follows him. He steps into a Falcons building desperate for a playoff run, and his back is already against the wall.
“When you spend more waking hours in this building than at home, you need to know the guy running the show actually has your back. A lot of guys realized this year that they were just cogs in a machine.”
— Anonymous AFC Veteran
The Wider Fallout: Steelers Hit Rock Bottom
While head coach grades generate the loudest headlines, the facility grades reveal the grittiest details. The Miami Dolphins secured the No. 1 overall spot for the second time in three years. They treat their players like premium investments.
Then you look at the Pittsburgh Steelers. They finished dead last at No. 32, earning a catastrophic F- overall. The lack of basic resources is staggering. Players openly criticized the ownership’s refusal to update the facilities, noting the locker room provides only five bathroom stalls for a massive professional football roster. When players have to wait in line just to use the restroom after a grueling three-hour battle in the AFC North, the prestige of the logo on the helmet fades quickly.
Playoff Implications / What’s Next
These leaked grades will heavily influence the 2026 free agency frenzy in March. General managers can no longer sell a free agent on a state-of-the-art facility if the NFLPA report card explicitly calls it a dump. Players talk. Agents read the data. Teams like the Dolphins and Commanders just gained a massive recruiting advantage. Conversely, the Browns and Steelers face an uphill battle. If Pittsburgh wants to attract top-tier talent in free agency, Art Rooney II has to open the checkbook and fix the plumbing immediately.
