Despite having one of the flashiest headquarters in the league, the Dallas Cowboys players clarified that not everything is perfect inside The Star. In the latest NFLPA 2026 reports, quarterback Dak Prescott and his teammates vented their frustration over the team’s locker room, training room, and support staff. Although mixed, the grades show that Jerry Jones’ organization still has work to do to meet player expectations.

ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler recently obtained the NFL Players Association’s 2026 team report cards, which the league tried to keep under wraps. It recorded feedback from 1,759 players on the roster, with the survey running from November 2 to December 11 last year. The Cowboys graded their locker room a B-plus, which is a fall from last year’s solid A+ when they came out on top in that category.

The annual survey, which grades teams from A-plus to F-minus in several categories, revealed a significant drop for the Cowboys in key areas. Located within The Star in Frisco, the Cowboys have a high-tech locker room that houses 76 custom-designed lockers. Mostly, the players have agreed that the locker room’s structure lives up to the hype. It was evident in last year’s report. But while they were comfortable with its size, about one-third of respondents couldn’t ignore “ongoing plumbing issues.”

The dissatisfaction didn’t end with the locker room. Players also flagged significant issues with the team’s training facilities and staff, which saw grades plummet. They received a D for their training room and a C for the training staff. This marks a drop from their C grade in 2024, when players highlighted a lack of staff in the training facility, especially physical therapists.

Only 60% of players agreed that physicians were available at all times. Only 60% of players felt physicians were always available, and the training staff fared little better, with just 72% of players reporting they received enough one-on-one treatment. Moreover, several players felt the training staff only “slightly contributes” to their success. Earlier in the offseason, the Kansas City Chiefs also expressed their disappointment over the locker room shortcomings. While facility issues are a tangible problem, the survey also revealed players’ lukewarm feelings about the front office, specifically owner and general manager Jerry Jones.

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Dak Prescott’s team sends a blunt message to the team owner

The confidential survey that the NFL Players Association conducts annually has seventeen categories in 2026. The new ones that made the list this year are home game field, position coaches, the three coordinators, and the general manager. For the Cowboys, both the general manager and ownership categories received a B grade. 

In the 2024 report, the team had the same view on ownership. One might take it as a moderate ranking, but it still ranked 18th out of 32 last year. It signals that Jones has made little progress and that he still needs to work on internal processes to strengthen bonds with his players. Known for expressing his frustration publicly, Jones ruffled feathers last year as he took a dig at the team’s defense.

“There’s $100 billion present value with [natural] gas out there,” Jones said in The Wall Street Journal in October 2025. “That’s why I’m talking to you on the telephone rather than trying to fix our defense with the Dallas Cowboys.” 

Those remarks didn’t sit well with fans, as many thought Jones wasn’t prioritizing fixing the gaps. Even Prescott acknowledged the validity of the criticism. Speaking to reporters, he admitted that hearing a quote like that without context “can definitely be frustrating,” especially for supporters rooting for the franchise to improve.

However, the QB still provided some explanation. He mentioned that Jones has always been open about his business interests. He suggested that the comment must have highlighted a particular moment instead of a major change in focus. 

“Maybe in those five minutes is what he was alluding to,” he added. “And having a chance at a $100 billion opportunity, I think you might take five minutes as well to answer a call. Hopefully that’s what he means, right? But I could see how it could be frustrating.”

While Prescott publicly downplayed the owner’s comments, the combination of facility complaints and middling grades for ownership paints a picture of a franchise whose flashy exterior may be hiding internal friction.