The former defensive end of the Houston Texans, JJ Watt, reposted a tweet on X on Friday, voicing his frustration after the NFL blocked the NFL Players Association from releasing its annual team report cards. These surveys gave players a rare chance to grade their teams on travel, locker rooms, nutrition, training staff, and family support. This year, however, the NFL decided those grades must stay secret, sparking immediate and widespread outrage from some of the league’s most respected voices.

“NFL won’t let actual players grade the workplace they attend every single day,” Watt, who played 12 seasons in the league, wrote in his X post. “But they’ll allow a 3rd party ‘grading’ service to display their ‘rankings’ of players on national television every Sunday night…”

JJ Watt hit repost and said what a lot of players were already thinking. The NFL Players Association will no longer publish team report card rankings after the league won its grievance, first reported by Adam Schefter.

“We are pleased with the decision from the arbitrator, upholding the parties’ collective bargaining agreement and prohibiting the NFLPA from disparaging our clubs and individuals through ‘report cards’ allegedly based on data and methodologies that it has steadfastly refused to disclose. … We remain committed to working in partnership with the NFLPA and an independent survey company to develop and administer a scientifically valid survey to solicit accurate and reliable player feedback as the parties agreed in the CBA,” NFL released the statement on Friday.

This ruling now stops players from publicly sharing honest feedback about their teams. The report cards, in place since 2023, were meant to hold clubs accountable and push for better working conditions, with nearly 1,700 players taking part last year. Watt’s post highlights growing anger among players who feel their voices are being silenced in a billion-dollar league.

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

Some teams even improved after seeing their grades. For example, the New England Patriots worked on travel and weight room issues after receiving F grades last year. On the other hand, the Broncos, for example, went from a D in food service and nutrition in 2023 to a B+/A‑ last season.

That’s why 49ers’ tight end George Kittle immediately showed support for Watt.

“Go off jj,” Kittle wrote on X.

The post quickly became a topic of discussion across the league.

Reporters and fans speak out against the NFLPA report card ban

After J.J. Watt’s post, other reporters and fans quickly joined in, criticizing the NFLPA decision to block report cards and calling for transparency and accountability in team workplaces.

A co-host of The Athletic football show wrote on X, “seems telling that rather than try to tweak or improve the methodology they’re just shutting it down.”

The co-host of Golic & Golic on @FanDuelSN added, “gutless. scared to compete.”

Reporter Jenna Cottrell wrote, “billion-dollar industry that can’t handle a little feedback.”

All these comments depict that the NFLPA report cards were meant to create accountability and improve conditions for players. Without them, transparency is lost, and players lose a public way to push for change. Many now call for the NFLPA to rethink its strategy before the next collective bargaining talks.

However, there were some who even highlighted the positive impact of the report cards.

Andrew Mason from DenverSports 1043 wrote, “Heaven forbid the clubs be held publicly accountable. For the Broncos, the areas in which the team fell short have been targeted for improvement, e.g., the team went from a D in food service/nutrition in the 2023 report card to a B+/A- in the one issued last year.”

Other reporters added context on player safety and family treatment. An NFL reporter noted, “Beyond the discussion of public shaming, question is ‘How did the NFLPA lose this??’”

ESPN reporter Jenna Laine wrote that some teams take the feedback seriously and work to improve conditions for players.

Fans also spoke up and said, “NFL silencing transparency. Report cards showed which teams actually cared about player safety and conditions. Now that gets buried. Always protecting the shield over accountability.”

While another chimed in, “Players deserve better than this. Those report cards were anonymous for a reason. Banning them silences the very people who make the NFL billions. Owners win again. Time for the NFLPA to rethink strategy and push for real CBA changes in the next round.”

Besides them, some fans even joked about the alternatives. One wrote, “What if the players made one and tweeted it out at the end of every year lol.”

Nevertheless, Watt’s repost sparked a larger debate about players’ voices. With support from Kittle and others, the NFLPA decision is being questioned by fans and players alike. The league faces criticism for silencing feedback that could improve the workplace for those who make it successful.