On Thursday evening, the results of the NFLPA survey were made public. The NFL is not happy about this at all.

Every year, NFL players are allowed to evaluate their teams and issue reports in a survey conducted by the NFLPA union. The NFL had filed a complaint against the publication of the report, arguing that it violated the Collective Bargaining Agreement and was “derogatory to franchises and individuals.”

On Thursday evening, the results of the player survey were finally made public. Among others, ESPN published all the rankings. A few hours later, the NFL responded. In an email, which was also made public, the league addressed all franchises. In it, it advised teams not to take the NFLPA survey too seriously and, above all, not to comment on it.

NFL: Survey “neither reliable nor scientifically sound”

The email reads: “We note that the NFL Players Association published its ‘Team Report Cards’ on its player-only website today, and we are aware that the media is reporting on some of the alleged results. As we have previously communicated, the admissions made by the association and its legal counsel during the hearing in the grievance process confirm, among other things: (I) that the report cards are ‘union communications’; (II) that the union selects which topics and responses are included or excluded; (III) that players have no role in drafting the comments on the report cards; (IV) that the union decides which anonymous player quotes are included and which are omitted; and (V) that the union determines how each topic is weighted before the ‘grades’ are assigned; (VI) that the Report Cards are neither reliable nor scientifically sound.”

NFL: Survey “agenda-driven measure”

It goes on to say: “In fact, these admissions also demonstrate the union’s continued and consistent refusal to disclose data or information about the process it falsely attempts to portray as ‘scientifically sound.’”

The text continues: “Given these significant acknowledged limitations, we continue to recommend that clubs prioritize feedback and information from their own players rather than relying on the NFLPA’s agenda-driven measure. Furthermore, we recommend that clubs refrain from publicly commenting on or participating in the alleged survey and report card results. Doing so would only lend credibility to the union’s media campaign.”