Toucher & Hardy

Toucher & Hardy

Toucher & Hardy

The NFL Players Association surveyed over 1,300 players from last season. They asked players to evaluate certain aspects of team treatment. Report cards for each team detail everything from food services to travel accommodations.

Overall, the New England Patriots ranked 24th in player satisfaction, accounting for all categories surveyed.

On Thursday’s Toucher & Rich program, the guys react to the letter grades the Patriots received.

  • (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images)

    FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – DECEMBER 28: A general view of Gillette Stadium before the game between the Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots on December 28, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images)

  • Patriots Report Card

     

    Treatment of Families: C- 

    Nutrition: B 

    Weight Room: D 

    Strength Staff: B+ 

    Training Room: C- 

    Training Staff: A 

    Locker Room: C+ 

    Travel: D+ 

  • Rich: I feel like the Krafts are waking up this morning, and they’re seeing this. Maybe this is the first time realizing that Patriots players might be a little unhappy in some aspects. Right now, amongst all NFL teams, the Patriots ranked 24 out of 32. And there are some categories where they are almost dead last. Let’s go through the grades that the players gave … 

  • New England Patriots Report Card 2023

    Select from the menu in the top left to see a breakdown of this team's grade by topic. To see all team's ratings, click here. The New England Patriots ranked 24 th in our team guide. The player respondents' feedback from our survey described the club's facility as old, dated and in need of renovation.

  • Rich: Treatment of families for the players, C minus, tied for 22nd. The Patriots are one of 11 teams that do not offer daycare at the stadium and one of 14 teams that don’t have a family room. I’m assuming that is during games when the family can gather. 

    Foodservice and nutrition, they got a good grade, B, which is ranked 12th overall. Of the Patriots players surveyed, 68 percent of players say there’s enough room in the cafeteria. They’re able to move around, and the food is good. 

    The weight room, D grade, ranked 31st in the league, second to last. Players feel the facilities and equipment have been the same for a very long time and that it’s understaffed. Maybe that’s why Bill Belichick glowed about the Las Vegas Raiders facility. However, strength coaches do very well. They got a B plus. 

    The training room, C minus, is tied for 22nd in the league. The players’ overall belief is that the training room lacks equipment. There’s a steam room and a sauna. And that’s basically it. They think there’s not enough training staff. 

  • Jan 27, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; New England Patriots team plane arrives at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport for Super Bowl LIII. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hagy-USA TODAY Sports

    Jan 27, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; New England Patriots team plane arrives at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport for Super Bowl LIII. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hagy-USA TODAY Sports

  • Rich: The locker room gets a C plus, tied for 18th. The main complaint is that players want slightly more room to spread out without feeling on top of one another. 

    Now, this one’s interesting. Team travel gets a D plus, tied for 25th place overall. Of Patriots players surveyed, 54 percent feel like they have enough room while traveling. Does that mean 46 percent don’t? That’s not the first time I’ve heard that the Patriots’ plane is cramped. I’ve heard some say the seats aren’t exactly designed for giant linemen. It almost seems like they’re standard seats. 

    Fred: Yeah, it doesn’t look that impressive. It just looks like a commercial airliner. 

  • Full Segment

  • Ryan Beaton is a producer for 985thesportshub.com. You can follow Ryan at @ry_beaton on Twitter.

    Follow @Toucherandrich on Twitter, @Toucherandrichofficial and @fredtoucher on Instagram to keep up with the show!

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