Every year, the NFL Players Association releases a report card for every team, assessing teams' working conditions for their players. Polling players around the league to get an idea of their views about the team's facilities, head coaches, staff, and ownership, the NFLPA then ranks organizations based on these categories.
After ranking 23rd and 25th overall in the past two seasons, the Atlanta Falcons saw the biggest improvement of any organization in their players' assessments of the team. Thanks to the revamped facilities and the coaching change, the Falcons moved all the way up to third in the league.
The Atlanta Falcons jumped from 25th to third in the NFLPA’s team report card, which was released Wednesday. Raheem Morris was ranked second among head coaches (behind only his former boss Dan Quinn), and Arthur Blank ranked in top three of all the owner categories.
— Josh Kendall (@JoshTheAthletic) February 26, 2025
Falcons Improved the Most of Any Team in NFLPA Grades
As The Athletic's Josh Kendall pointed out, the improvements were across the board. Not only did the Falcons revamp their weight room, locker room, and dining area, but head coach Raheem Morris and team owner Arthur Blank both ranked in the top three of their respective categories.
The only two areas the Falcons didn't receive an A grade from their players were the training room and team travel. Players said that the team could use more physical therapists on staff and would benefit from a few improvements in the training room. In terms of travel, some players weren't entire comfortable with the amount of personal space on team flights.
These are minor issues in the big picture. The fact that the players were overwhelmingly happy with the job the coaching staff and ownership have been doing is far more important.
This could potentially be an important factor as we enter the offseason. The Falcons don't have much cap space heading into free agency but the improved perception of the organization among the players could benefit them.
Better facilities, ownership committed to spending, and a head coach who received a perfect score from his players could make the Falcons an attractive free-agent destination. Whether this comes to fruition when free agency kicks off on March 12 remains to be seen.