Treatment of families has impacted NFL free agency decisions, player morale
For a long time, it was assumed that NFL free agents made decisions based on three things: Money/contract, chances of winning and location. While those three things may be true, the start of the NFLPA report card has given players even more information with which to make decisions.
Winning has often been focused on player talent, coaching and culture but the NFLPA report cards have shown so many details that can impact morale around the team, as well as actual health, that may impact culture more than expected. The Cleveland Browns, who have done more losing than winning, have gotten mostly concerning grades each of the last two years.
Now, in an article on ESPN, that is scathing toward the cheap Cincinnati Bengals, the Browns are once again being taken to task by players including bringing back a concern noted in a previous report card about differential treatment:
The report cards noted that the Browns players surveyed “believe that the coaches’ families are treated better than players’ families,” as “the coaches’ families have a post-game meet up inside the stadium, while the players’ families meet in a tent in the parking lot.” According to the team, the tent is heated and the organization spends around $200,000 on the space.
The piece notes positive experiences for the families of players in Minnesotta and Atlanta as well as the Dallas Cowboys having a full area in the stadium for families “which includes food, drinks and “anything you want.”
The rival Bengals were derided throughout the piece for not taking care of families:
Up until last year, when the Bengals added a postgame area inside the stadium for families to meet, the they had an outdoor area beneath a large white tent roughly 20 yards away from the players’ parking lot.
One player described the tent as a “s—t show,” especially when it was cold.
Another veteran pointed out that one of the major issues for his team on gameday is the lack of a dedicated area for families in terms of bathrooms and concessions. Many times, families are constantly waiting in long lines for both of those things, which for players with young children — and a game played by young men means a significant number of NFL players who are fathers have young children — brings stress and security concerns.
While many may note that players are just whining, it has had an obvious impact
“The survey has had a major impact,” 2025 Vikings free agent signing Ryan Kelly said. “Because you’re a guy looking for a new home, you’ve got kids, you have a family. It’s like, ‘what’s the treatment like?’ If you treat my family well, I’m going to be happier as a person, I’m going to be happier as a player, I’m going to be in a better mood, and we’ll probably have more success.”
The hope in Cleveland is that the move to Brook Park will alleviate some of these issues. Whether the team is able to forgo using an area for financial gain versus player comfort will be interesting to watch.
What do you think about the players’ concerns related to their families and how it impacts play on the field and free agent decisions? Share your thoughts with us down below in our comment section