Report Card: Players Grade Panthers 25th Out of 32 Teams

Each year the NFL Player’s Association issues report cards to each NFL team. Franchises are graded by players based on eleven categories: treatment of families, food/dining area, nutritionist/dietician, locker room, training room, training staff, weight room, strength coaches, team travel, head coach and ownership.

Players graded the Panthers high in the head coach, strength coaches and nutritionist/dietician areas – all of which received A grades. They graded the lowest in the ownership and team travel categories – receiving a D in both.

Carolina ranked 25 out of 32 teams overall – dropping 8 spots from last year’s 17th ranking.

See below for the grades and explanations from all eleven categories.

Treatment of Families – B+ (7th out of 32 teams)

The Panthers provide daycare during home games and a family room during home games. Players rate the post-game family area 7.93 out of 10, ranking them 11 out of 32 teams.

The players feel that the team frequently organizes family events, which ranks 9 out of 32.18th out of 32 teams

Food / Dining Area – B (18th out of 32 teams)

The Carolina Panthers rate the taste of their team’s food 8.23 out of 10, a ranking of 14 out of 32. They rate the freshness of their food 8.42 out of 10, a ranking of 16 out of 32 teams. The players rate their dining area 8.00 out of 10, ranking it 22 out of 32 NFL team dining areas.

The players are very complimentary of their Director of Culinary, Tracie Hartman.

Nutritionist / Dietician – A- (8th out of 32 teams)

79% of players report that they get an individualized nutrition plan, ranking the Panthers 22 out of 32 teams. The players believe that their team dietician is very accessible, a ranking of 6 out of 32.

Locker Room – C (20th out of 32 teams)

81% of players feel they have enough room in their individual lockers, a ranking of 19 out of 32. 79% of players feel the locker room size is adequate, ranking the Panthers 19 out of 32 teams.

Training Room B- (18th out of 32 teams)

89% of Panthers players feel they have enough full-time trainers, ranking them 16 out of 32 teams. 86% of players feel they have enough full-time physical therapists, a rank of 14 out of 32. 68% of players feel they have enough hot tub space, a rank of 27 out of 32. 74% of players feel they have enough cold tub space, a rank of 28 out of 32.

Training Staff B+ (7th out of 32 teams)

89% of Panthers players report that they receive enough one-on-one training treatment, ranking them 11 out of 32 teams. The players feel that their training staff moderately contributes to their overall success, ranking them 5 of 32.

Weight Room – C+ (27th out of 32 teams)

The players report that the weight room equipment is of below average quality, ranking them 29 out of 32 teams. The players feel that they do not have enough space in their weight room, a ranking of 28 out of 32.

The players acknowledge that there are ongoing equipment upgrades, but they believe they are limited by the amount of actual space.

Strength Coaches – A (8th out of 32 teams)

97% of players report that they get an individualized training plan from their strength coaching staff, ranking the team 8 out of 32. The players feel that their strength coaches significantly contribute to their overall success, a rank of 8 out of 32 teams.

Team Travel – D (29th out of 32 teams)

55% of the Panthers players feel they have a comfortable amount of personal space on team flights, ranking them 29 out of 32. The players believe their team’s travel schedule is not very efficient, a rank of 24 out of 32 teams.

Fewer players feel they have a comfortable amount of personal space on team flights this year because coaches moved into first class seats, leaving players with smaller seats.

Head Coach – A- (17th out of 32 teams)

97% of Panthers players feel their head coach Dave Canales is efficient with their time, a rank of 10 out of 32. The players feel that Canales is highly receptive to locker room feedback on the team’s needs, ranking him 12 of 32 head coaches in the league.

Ownership – D- (31st out of 32 teams)

Owner David Tepper’s average rating for perceived willingness to invest in the facilities is 6.12 out of 10 from the Panthers players, a ranking of 29 out of 32 owners in the league. The players feel that ownership only slightly contributes to a positive team culture, a rank of 31 out of 32.

The players feel that ownership is only somewhat committed to building a competitive team, a rank of 32 of the 32 NFL owners.