INDIANAPOLIS — The good news for the Pittsburgh Steelers is that unlike the previous year, they received zero F grades in the NFL Players’ Association’s third annual team report card that was released Wednesday.
The bad news? For the second year in a row, they continued to rank No. 28 among the league’s 32 teams in the overall evaluation.
The lowest grades the Steelers received were for ownership — Art Rooney II’s regime was given a D — and locker rooms. That was a slight improvement from last year when ownership and locker rooms were awarded an F and the team’s treatment of families was given an F-minus mark.
The Steelers also received the worst grade, a C-minus, for the strength and conditioning staff, which was overhauled after the 2023 season.
The NFLPA report stated, “The players feel that their strength coaches slightly contribute to their overall success, a rank of 32 out of 32 teams.”
Players surveyed also thought the team’s dietitian is “not accessible enough,” resulting in a No. 31 ranking.
The NFLPA survey was conducted from Aug. 26 to Nov. 20.
“When asked to identify the top improvement areas, players mention the locker room, which is in serious need of renovation, and the strength staff, which scores low on providing individualized training plans and contributing to the players’ success,” the NFLPA wrote in its analysis.
On a 1-10 scale, Rooney II’s ownership received a 6 for “willingness to invest in the facilities,” which ranked No. 30.
On the positive end, head coach Mike Tomlin received an A for the second year in a row, ranking No. 7 overall. The team also received a C-minus in treatment of families, ranking No. 26, after the Steelers began providing day-care facilities at games in the 2024 season. They remain one of 10 teams that do not provide a family room during games.
Receiving B grades were team travel and the training staff. The team’s dining facilities at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex received a B-minus. Team travel was the only other category, aside from the head coach, that ranked in the top half of the league, coming in at No. 17.
The Steelers did not comment on the NFLPA rankings. They also did not comment last year when the rankings were unveiled during the NFL Combine.