NFLPA survey gives Broncos improving grades, still rank below average

The Walton-Penner Family Ownership Group got rave reviews in the National Football League Players Association’s Report Card for 2025, carrying the way for a Denver Broncos organization that continues to make strides toward improving the lives of its workers.

The Broncos were just below league average with their overall ranking of 17, following up last year’s performance of 16 and 20 before current ownership took over. But diving into the number reveals that there were 41 percent more A’s given this year and 51 percent fewer D or below than in the past. The average score in the survey went from a B-minus to a B or as NFLPA’s JC Tretter says, “The floor is rising.”

So while the Broncos might have slipped slightly, it’s really that their improvements were in line with the rest of the league with the team’s biggest addition coming in a few months. Even the NFLPA pointed out that it’s important to share that the Broncos are building a state-of-the-art practice facility, which is scheduled to be completed before the 2026 season. The price tag of that project is $175 million and it will no doubt improve the Broncos worst grade of an F, given to the team for their inadequate locker room.

The top five teams in the NFLPA report cards were the Dolphins, Vikings, Falcons, Raiders and Chargers. The data collected for this was done from August to November, with 1,695 respondents, an average of 52 per team—representing 77 percent of the union’s membership.

Broncos @NFLPA survey grades: pic.twitter.com/y4IL1dC7ER

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) February 26, 2025

Comparing NFLPA Surveys

Some of the categories have been slightly different.

Locker Room

• 2023: D+
• 2024: D
• 2025: F

Only 42% of players felt the locker room size is adequate, ranking the Broncos 30 out of 32 teams.

Treatment of Families

• 2023: D+
• 2024: D+
• 2025: C-

Survey says “Players would like the post-game family area to be indoors so families, especially those with young children, can avoid hot and cold weather extremes in Denver.” The family event planning only got a 31 out of 32 on the ranking.

Food Service/Nutrition

• 2023: D
• 2024: B and B+
• 2025: B+ and A-

The Broncos get good marks for the freshness of their food and are one of the best teams for access to their dietitians.

Weight Room

• 2023: B+
• 2024: B
• 2025: B

The weight room gets mixed results with the players not too fond of the equipment.

Strength Coaches

• 2023: B+
• 2024: C
• 2025: B-

“Players specifically compliment the work of the assistant strength coaches saying they are the ones providing high-quality programming and dedicated support.”

Training Room

• 2023: C+
• 2024: B-
• 2025: B

The Broncos ranked in the league’s top 10 in availability of full-time trainers, physical therapists and cold-tub space. But Denver was 25th in how the players felt regarding the availability of hot-tub space.

Training Staff

• 2023: C
• 2024: B
• 2025: B+

The Broncos keep making strides here and are in the middle of the pack.

Team Travel

• 2023: B+
• 2024: B-
• 2025: A

Players rave about the space the team has when traveling but complain about how inefficient it is—which comes with the territory of having the airport so far from downtown.

Ownership

• 2024: A
• 2025: A

Greg Penner got a lot of love for his willingness to invest, ranking fourth in the league. The group in place got the fifth-best marks for both the culture they’ve established and their commitment to winning.