Player concerns over coaching respect, outdated facilities, and basic amenities reveal a surprising rift within the storied Green Bay Packers organization.
The Green Bay Packers are generally thought of as one of the greatest franchises, not just in the NFL, but in sports in general.
Everything about the Packers is unique. From the Super Bowl trophy being named after their legendary head coach, Vince Lombardi, to the team technically being owned by the fans.
The Packers are a world class organiation with a worldwide following.
That's what makes the latest NFLPA report card on the Packers so concerning.
In theory, the Packers are the crown jewel of the NFL. According to the players in the organization, though, some major areas can be improved.
Right off the bat, the head coach, Matt LaFleur, getting a B- in these anonymous grades is a huge concern. This is the same guy who just got a contract extension, keep in mind, and the Packers' top brass believes he's the head coach who can lead the franchise back to the promised land.
"Head coach Matt LaFleur dropped a full letter grade this season and ranks second to last in the league in respect for players," Aaron Nagler of Cheesehead TV reported.
Notably, multiple veteran players, including Jordan Love and Micah Parsons, stumped for LaFleur to return despite the five-game losing streak to end this season. It is interesting to see that, anonymously, though, there seems to be a bit of animosity between LaFleur and his team.
There are also some concerns that the Packers can easily fix, but the fact that they're concerns in the first place means that the Packers are operating below expectations.
In fact, Green Bay dropped 14 spots in the annual report card, which marks the steepest decline of any team in the league.
"The drop is driven largely by the decline in ratings for the training room and training staff, which now rank in the bottom third of the league," Nagler wrote. "Players report a lack of space and outdated recovery equipment, along with a lack of communication and trust in the training room. These issues are a top priority players identify to be addressed."
This could be handwaved away as players just looking for something to complain about, but let's not forget how vital of an offseason this is for the Packers from a health standpoint.
Three of their top players, Parsons, Devonte Wyatt and Tucker Kraft, are coming off major injuries.
The Packers also, apparently, don't offer gameday childcare to their players, and their nutrition program is lacking.
These may seem like small things, but ultimatly, they add up to a major drop in player satisfaction.
If we were hearing these sorts of things about the Cleveland Browns, for instance, perhaps they wouldn't be surprising. The Browns are generally thought of as one of the worst-run franchises in all of sports.
The Packers are supposed to be the opposite of that, though. And yet, they are lacking.
Perhaps the culture isn't everything it's made out to be in Green Bay. Perhaps, in fact, there's a culture problem.
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