The Minnesota Vikings’ ownership group knows how to run a business.
Vikings Report Card from NFLPA … Is Glowing
Annually, the NFLPA releases “team report cards,” detailing grades for team culture, facilities, treatment of families, nutrition, etc., and this go-round, the Vikings checked in at No. 2 behind the Miami Dolphins. They fetched the same ranking last year after a No. 1 placement in 2023, the first year of such rankings.
Star Tribune‘s Ben Goessling tweeted Wednesday, “The Vikings finished second in the NFL on the NFL Players Association report card, behind only the Dolphins. Second year in a row they’ve finished second, after winning in 2023.”
Here’s how the Vikings fared by category:
- Head Coach: A+
- Ownership: A+
- Treatment of Families: A+
- Locker Room: A+
- Training Staff: A
- Strength Coaches: A
- Team Travel: A
- Food/Dining Area: A-
- Training Room: A-
- Weight Room: A-
- Nutritionist: B+
The NFLPA wrote about his grading system: “One of our core jobs as a union is to improve the overall working conditions for our players, which includes the daily experience of players at the team facilities away from the lights and cameras. One thousand six hundred ninety-five of our players provided information to share with one another about their current club, to not only help them make important career decisions, but also help raise standards across the league.”
And it detailed about Minnesota specifically: “Minnesota maintains their No. 2 ranking, continuing to have top-of-the-line facilities, a highly regarded coach and owner, and a helpful support staff. Despite already receiving high grades, they made additional improvements since the prior survey — most notably in the training staff, which saw its grade rise from a B to an A, the second highest in the league.”
“When asked what the team does best, players overwhelmingly praise how the organization cares for them and their families. The Vikings have been the gold standard when it comes to treatment of families since the inception of these report cards.”
The report card arrived fresh off the steam of the club’s head coach, Kevin O’Connell, winning the 2024 NFL Coach of the Year award. Based on the NFLPA’s annual grades for the Vikings and O’Connell in particular, the award might have just been a matter of time.
Another sweet part of the Vikings’ marvelous grade? Timing — free agency is 12 days away, and believe it or not, players care about these report cards.
The Arizona Cardinals finished dead last per the grading system.
A Vikings Dream Will Finally Come True
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.