For a team that collects Super Bowl rings, the Kansas City Chiefs‘ locker room is reportedly collecting dust and player complaints. Players have repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction in the locker room, and now, the latest NFLPA reports paint a concerning scenario of outdated facilities, cramped spaces, and unfulfilled promises.

“Kansas City Chiefs: The Union said Players ‘continue to express the need for renovation and upgrades to the locker room’ and criticized the home game hotel as the ‘lowest in the league,’ remarking that it is ‘outdated,’ the beds are ‘uncomfortable,’ and the floors are ‘dirty and sticky,’” the NFLPA report card findings cited in media reports.

Details from a document by arbitrator Scott E. Buchheit shed light on the off-field concerns Patrick Mahomes’ team had in the 2025 season. Details from the NFLPA’s confidential league-wide survey, which grades workplace conditions for all 32 franchises, shed more light on the off-field concerns for Patrick Mahomes’ team. The cramped quarters remained a major source of frustration for players during home games.

Unfortunately, these concerns have been around for the past couple of seasons. The primary complaint remains that the locker room is small, with individual lockers not having sufficient storage space. The Chiefs ranked 29th in the 2022 season and dropped to 31st the following season, a decline that came after players believed meaningful upgrades had been promised but never delivered.

Beyond the locker room itself, players also flagged broader facility shortcomings, including low rankings for the weight room and training room, which consistently placed among the bottom groups across the league, further reinforcing how outdated the overall setup has remained despite the team’s championship success.

While the Chiefs finally addressed some player concerns in 2024, hiring a full-time dietician to boost their nutrition grade from a failing F to an A-, the core issue remained. The locker room grade barely budged from an F to a D-, signaling that the promised upgrades were still just talk.

Head coach Andy Reid responded to the frustration, saying the franchise never promised a new locker room.

“But you know how it is in transitions when you had all this going on that we have going on with new stadiums and new facilities, and do we stay? Do we go?” he said in 2024. “All of the politics that is involved there. Certain things could have been said or misconstrued. I don’t know.” 

While players hoped these public reports would force the team’s hand, a recent league-level decision has silenced that tool.

NFL wins grievance against NFLPA amid concerns of Patrick Mahomes’ team

The NFL recently attempted to prevent the NFL Players Association from releasing future player report cards. The league ultimately won its grievance against the union. In a memo sent to all 32 teams, the arbitrator ruled that the report cards violated the collective bargaining agreement by “disparaging NFL clubs and individuals.”

Moreover, the arbitrator concluded that report cards were not entirely neutral. Several witnesses and counsel from the NFLPA testified that the project’s primary purpose was to serve the union’s broader interests “under the guise of scientific exercise.” The ruling also noted that the body didn’t provide survey data from previous years and claimed that it included selective topics in the final reports.

Furthermore, the commentary was not written by players but by union staff, who also controlled which player quotes were used and how much weight each category carried in the final grade. They also decided how much weight each category carried, directly influencing the team’s overall grade. After the hearing, NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy welcomed the ruling, while stressing the league’s partnership with the NFLPA.

“We remain committed to working in partnership with the NFLPA and an independent survey company to develop and administer a scientifically valid survey to solicit accurate and reliable player feedback as the parties agreed in the CBA,” he said.

In response, the NFLPA announced it won’t stop conducting annual surveys. 

“While we strongly disagree with the restriction on making those results public, that limitation does not stop the program or its impact,” the NFLPA’s statement reads. “Players will continue to receive the results, and teams will continue to hear directly from their locker rooms.”

The NFLPA has been distributing these anonymous report cards since 2023. They have already gathered responses during the 2025 season for the next edition, and it was about to go public in spring 2026. The ruling has heightened concerns about player feedback and transparency moving forward.