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Essentials Inside The Story

  • The NFLPA's latest report cards depicted one owner receiving the lowest grade
  • Deeper concerns about facilities and player treatment paint a more complicated picture
  • The owner broke his silence on the feedback from the report cards

The NFLPA’s 2026 team report cards have been released, and they’re already stirring conversation across the league. As always, the anonymous player feedback offers a revealing look inside each organization. This time, comments tied to Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals have drawn particular notice, placing owner Michael Bidwill back under the spotlight because of the grade he received.

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Dov Kleiman shared the full ownership grades from the NFLPA report cards on X and added, “Michael Bidwill is the WORST owner in the NFL.”

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As a team, Arizona moved up one spot from last year to 31st overall. But the bigger story is Bidwill’s personal grade compared to other owners. Out of 32 NFL owners, 28 received a C or better. Only four ended up with failing grades. The Cincinnati Bengals earned a D+, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers followed with a D. The Pittsburgh Steelers narrowly avoided last place with a D-. That left Bidwill as the only owner in the league to receive an F.

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This isn’t the first time he’s been near the bottom. Last year, he got a D-. Cardinals players rated him 5.90 out of 10 when it came to investing in team facilities, which ranked 31st out of 32 owners. They felt he did a decent job contributing to a positive team culture (28th) and showed some commitment to building a winning team (27th), but clearly there was room for improvement.

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This year, Kyler Murray and company didn’t hold back. The Cardinals are sitting at 31st overall, just ahead of the Steelers. The report card showed a real mix of results.

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Some parts of the organization were rated pretty well. The home field and nutrition program landed in the “B” range.

Coaching grades were much stronger overall. The head coach and position coaches stood out the most with B+ grades. The GM received a B, strength coaches were graded B-, the offensive coordinator got a B-, the defensive coordinator a C+, and the special teams coordinator earned a B.

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However, Bidwill has since moved on from that staff and brought in a new head coach, Mike LaFleur, along with a new staff around him.

Coming to the facility-related areas, it didn’t score nearly as well. The treatment of families received a D+. The training room and weight room were also graded B- and D+, respectively. The locker room was the lowest of all, with an F-. Travel came in at C+, while food services earned a C-.

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Despite being ranked last and receiving the only F among owners, Bidwill doesn’t appear shaken.

Cardinals Owner Michael Bidwill Responds to NFLPA Report Card News

Over the past 10 years, Arizona has had just one winning season, and when you look at the recent grades, it’s not that surprising why. The results in the field and the feedback on them seem to line up.

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When asked about being rated the worst owner, Michael Bidwill didn’t push back. Instead, he gave a calm and thoughtful response.

“Well, feedback’s a gift,” Bidwill said, via Josh Weinfuss of ESPN, “but also I knew what our plan was and I was going to make this multi-generational decision when this parcel became available to build the best possible facility and performance center that’s player-first, for the Cardinals and for our future.”

Many fans have taken to social media, criticizing and asking Bidwill to sell the team. Even Hall of Famer Cris Carter has called out Bidwill and the ownership group for their “awful” decision-making.

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However, it seems that the 61-year-old Bidwill is all in on turning things around. A big part of this is a new performance center, which the Arizona Cardinals hope to open in 2028. The organization believes this new facility could play a major role in improving the overall player experience.

The Cardinals recently held a groundbreaking event for their new performance center and team headquarters in North Phoenix. The new performance center and team headquarters are expected to officially open in 2028, according to the team’s official page.

With changes already happening on the staff side and a new facility on the way, the next few years will be important. The vision is there now; it’s about whether it can finally push the Cardinals into a better position moving forward.

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Written by

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Ishani Jayara

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Ishani Jayara is an NFL Writer at EssentiallySports, covering the league with a focus on team narratives, season arcs, and the evolving dynamics that shape professional football. Introduced to the sport through friends, what began as casual interest steadily grew into a deep engagement with the game, guiding her toward football journalism. A longtime San Francisco 49ers supporter, she brings an informed fan’s perspective while maintaining editorial balance in her reporting. Her path into sports media has been shaped by experience in fast-paced digital environments, where she learned to navigate breaking news cycles, long-form storytelling, and the demands of consistent publishing. Alongside this, her professional background in quality-focused roles sharpened her attention to detail, structure, and clarity, qualities that now define her editorial approach. At EssentiallySports, Ishani concentrates on unpacking key NFL moments, tracking shifting team identities, and connecting on-field performances with the broader narratives surrounding the league.

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Bhwya Sriya

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