Kansas City Chiefs rank among worst in NFLPA Report Cards

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs have several areas of their franchise that are not up to league standard, according to an anonymous survey.

According to the NFL Players Association Team Report Cards, the Chiefs rank 29th out of 32 teams.

The report said the facility feels outdated and players would like to see upgrades across the board. Only 56% of respondents believe club owner Clark Hunt is willing to invest the money to upgrade the facility, ranking him 27th in this category.

Players’ responses showed the treatment of players falls well below other clubs across the NFL. The Chiefs are one of six teams that still make certain players have roommates, and less than 50% of players feel they have enough room to be comfortable on flights.

One of the most surprising parts of the report is the players’ views of head trainer Rick Burkholder. The report suggests he does not treat players fairly and consistently or with personal care.

This report comes after players raved about the work of Burkholder and his staff during their Super Bowl-winning season.

The Chiefs received D grades in training room, training staff and locker room and an F in team travel. The D- for the training staff ranked last in the NFL.

The report says 77% of players feel they have enough athletic trainers (4th worst in the league), and 61% feel they have enough personal trainers (4th worst in the league).

The other trainers are generally well-liked, but players said they want a more welcoming environment, according to the report.

Players said they feel discouraged from reporting their injuries, they don’t feel they get the level of personal care that they should, and they fear retribution for speaking up for better care.

The report card also said the lockers are old and in desperate need of renovation, and many players want to have a chair at their locker instead of a stool so they can lean back when sitting.

For team travel, 59% of players feel like they have enough room to spread out. The Chiefs are only one of six teams that make young players have roommates, and their planes have very few first-class seats, according to the report.

The Chiefs did rank highly in strength coaches, with players giving their staff an A- and receiving a B in the treatment of families. Their weight room rated as a C+ with more players wanting to see newer and updated equipment.

The confidential survey was sent to 1,300 NFL players, including every player on 2022 team rosters. Players were only asked about the team they played for in 2022.

Players were sent quantitative and qualitative answers, such as “Grade your weight room with 1 reflecting best rating, 5 reflecting lowest rating” and “What would you change about your weight room?”