Dolphins treat their players best in NFL, says union. Time for players to reward club and fans. | Schad
INDIANAPOLIS — When the Dolphins were ranked No. 2 in the NFLPA's annual report card for working conditions and daily experience last year, team owner Stephen Ross was excited.
Then he asked general manager Chris Grier how the team could be better.
And then they were.
On Wednesday, the NFLPA said the Dolphins were surveyed by current NFL players to be the league's No. 1 in the area of how they treat their players.
Many Dolphins fans expressed sarcastic annoyance at the results of the poll.
"Now they gotta' treat their fans better: a championship isn't much to ask in return for all that investment," posted Marcus Viera.
"And this relates to how many championships?" posted Al Owen.
There's a lot to sort through here, considering Miami has not won a single playoff game since Ross took ownership of the club, and in fact has 23 consecutive seasons without a playoff win, the league's worst streak.
Ross owns that. Literally.
Some fans also poked fun at recent Ross praise by Dolphins CEO Tom Garfinkel, who said Ross "wants to win more than anybody in this organization."
Garfinkel also praised Ross' unquestioned personal financial commitments.
So, look, yes, we get it. As a Dolphins fan, there are things that are more important than the Dolphins grading A+ to A- in everything from head coach to team travel to training staff to locker room to food in the cafeteria.
NFLPA Rankings: Dolphins top grades in NFL
So we'll make two key points here:
That the Dolphins organization is so attractive to players is a huge plus for fans. How? Well, with free agency coming, potential additions will like not only the weather and the lack of state income tax but the club can point to this report card as proof of how much they care.
Yes, they care. Yes, Ross cares. Yes, Grier cares. Yes, coach Mike McDaniel cares about people as much as he cares about winning. So here is where we note we understand the frustration of the fan base: It's all good to care. It's also time to win. It's past due.
It is the responsibility of Ross to now trust Grier to make the right over-the-hump decisions and McDaniel to make the necessary tweaks for the next step.
If that doesn't happen in 2024, or for sure, 2025, we all know how this goes. Ross is in his 80s. There won't be much patience.
But we think this is where we also need to put some onus on Miami's players.
If the Dolphins' organization is putting everything it has into making sure they can perform at their best, then the players must do that, too.
On his way out the door, Dolphins defensive coordinator Vic Fangio whispered to friends and confidants that there were too many players, in his opinion, who felt comfortable arriving late or not putting in all the required work to be great.
Some players have pushed back somewhat on the notion that they were not focused enough. Or that some players were too interested in all Miami has to offer.
But it's something McDaniel should a least make a note of. Consciously.
The Dolphins need their players — and there is a lot of talent in that locker room — to live up to, well, their talent.
Miami has enough talent to win playoff games. Or at least a playoff game, in 2024.
They owe it to McDaniel. And Grier. And Ross. And, yes, the fans.
And so, yes, it's not particularly helpful when superstar receiver Tyreek Hill is in the news with a civil lawsuit alleging he injured a female social influencer.
The Dolphins love how hard Tyreek practices, and plays. They probably don't privately love that there have been some off-field incidents.
Hill “forcefully and purposefully” shoved the woman while the two were participating in a football drill at his Southwest Ranches mansion, per the lawsuit.
The league and the club say they're aware of the report.
There were some investigated incidents with planned-to-be cut Xavien Howard, too.
McDaniel trusts his players to be professional. He trusts them to be mature adults.
He's not a dictator. He doesn't treat them like children.
And as noted above, the Dolphins treat their players, in general, really, really well.
NFLPA Report Card 2024: Miami Dolphins are No. 1
So, yes, it's time for Miami's football results to match the results on that organizational report card from the NFL's union.
Ross, Grier and McDaniel know the window to win has opened.
The responsibility to win is on them.
But it's also on the players who, according to the players, are enjoying outstanding working conditions and daily experience provided by the Dolphins.
Joe Schad is a journalist covering the Miami Dolphins and the NFL at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@pbpost.com and follow him on Instagram and on X @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe's free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins No. 1 in NFLPA's annual player treatment report card
