Vikings Ranked No. 2 Franchise in NFL by NFLPA Report Cards
The Minnesota Vikings have long been known for their top-tier facilities and treatment of players within the organization.
That was once again re-affirmed on Wednesday when the NFL Players Association released their now-annual player report cards. Each player was asked to grade their team in a number of different categories (A+ to F-), and the Minnesota Vikings ranked as the No. 2 franchise in the NFL by these grades, coming in behind only the Miami Dolphins. The grades were broken up into 11 key categories:
- Treatment of families
- Food/cafeteria
- Nutritionist/dietitian
- Locker room
- Training room
- Training staff
- Weight room
- Strength coaches
- Team travel
- Head coach
- Owner
Vikings Ranked No. 2 by NFLPA Report Cards
This is a relatively new exercise that has been implemented by the NFLPA, with the first such report cards coming out following the 2022 season. In that rendition, the Vikings were ranked as the best overall franchise in the NFL.
Last year, the Vikings received “A-” grades or better in each of the nine categories, including three “A+” grades in strength staff, training staff, and training room categories. Their only “A-” came in the nutrition category. It should be noted that the categories of head coach and owner were not included in last year’s grades while food and nutritionist were clumped into a single category.
For 2023, Minnesota took a couple steps backwards (most notably seeing their training staff grade go from “A+” to “B”). Here is how the Vikings graded out in each category for 2023:
- Treatment of families: A (1st)
- Food/cafeteria: B+ (7th)
- Nutritionist/dietitian: A (1st)
- Locker room: A (1st)
- Training room: A- (2nd)
- Training Staff: B (9th)
- Weight Room: A (8th)
- Strength coaches: A (1st)
- Team travel: A- (2nd)
- Head coach: A+ (2nd)
- Owner: A+ (2nd)
While these marks aren’t quite as stellar across the board as last year, it should be noted that no NFL franchise is as content with their coach and ownership as the Vikings’ players. No other franchise received “A+” marks for both categories. This should be considered a very positive development, particularly with free agency right around the corner.
The Vikings also remain at the very top of the league in terms of treatment of families, strength coaches, locker room, and nutrition while landing among the top two franchises for their training room and team travel.
The major step backwards, as mentioned, came in terms of training staff. For whatever reason, Vikings players were not as content with the staff this year as they were last year, causing a tumble down the rankings to ninth overall. This may be a reason why the Vikings opted to part ways with head trainer Uriah Myrie earlier in the offseason.
The Vikings certainly dealt with more than their fair share of injuries, which very well could have caused some frustration there.
Regardless, the Minnesota Vikings once again are among the cream of the crop in terms of player satisfaction. This should make them a very popular destination when free agency officially kicks off in March.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.
