Earlier this month, the NFL blocked the public release of the popular annual team report cards. According to a memo sent to all 32 teams on Friday, the union can no longer publish those evaluations for fans and the media to see. That decision sparked strong reactions across the league. And now a Steelers legend has revealed his stance on the situation, and his statements don’t beat around the bush.

James Harrison called the entire situation “trash” and questioned the direction of the NFLPA.

“NFL said they will review the 2026 NFLPA cards leak,” Harrison said on his Deebo & Joe Podcast with Joe Haden. “They don’t want their dirty laundry out there. And the NFLPA, if they get caught, they’re going to be caught, and it’s stupid to do it and make like it’s a leak or whatever. That’s the NFLPA because they’re trash, dude.”

The controversy around the report cards runs deeper than most fans realize. An arbitrator ruled that the surveys presented themselves as scientific, yet the process told a different story. According to the findings, union staff selected certain data points and anonymous quotes to shape the narrative.

Players gave feedback, but staff members wrote the final comments and determined how heavily issues like travel or locker room quality affected each team’s grade. Still, the NFLPA refuses to scrap the program entirely. Although it cannot share results publicly, it plans to continue surveying players and distributing the feedback internally within locker rooms and front offices.

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

The league, however, argued that the report cards functioned more as a public relations weapon than a fair review tool. As a result, league officials welcomed the ruling and expressed interest in building a new system. They want an independent company to conduct a scientifically valid survey focused strictly on medical care and player safety. Moreover, they insist that any future process must align with the collective bargaining agreement.

Many players feel frustrated. However, for this year, a leaked copy did find its way to the public.

Veterans such as Kelvin Beachum and Cameron Heyward have supported the report cards in the past, saying they pressured owners to fix real problems. Without public grades, some players fear the league simply wants to shield flaws from fans and beyond.

Because of all that, Harrison argues the union must overhaul its approach and truly defend player health and safety instead of mirroring corporate interests. In fact, he has now expressed an interest in pursuing the executive director role himself.

James Harrison continues to push for the executive director role

Two-time Super Bowl champion James Harrison spent 15 bruising seasons in the NFL and now wants to sit at the head of the table. On the Deebo & Joe Podcast, he made that goal clear.

“I’m running for the NFLPA executive director,” Harrison said. “You need somebody in there that’s actually in there for the players.”

Interestingly, this push did not start overnight. Back in September last year, he floated the same idea, and just weeks ago, he returned to it with even more force.

“I need to be the NFLPA executive director, point blank. Period,” Harrison said a few weeks ago. “My dude, Cam Hayward, is on the executive committee. From what I understand, my name has to be put on the ballot by someone that is on the committee. He said he would do that. So, I’m hoping that he did that. I’m just assuming that if my name was on it, I would have had some type of contact.”

As of now, he says he has heard nothing regarding the situation. Moreover, Harrison has warned that something would feel off if his name never appears.

“If my name doesn’t make it on the final players’ vote ballot for executive director, something’s wrong,” Harrison said on the podcast. “In the NFLPA, a lot of people working there actually want to work for the NFL.”

That timing matters because former executive director Lloyd Howell Jr. stepped down in July amid controversy. Reports connected him to a conflict involving The Carlyle Group, a private equity firm approved by the league to pursue minority team stakes. Then, ESPN detailed union-expensed strip club charges and concealed arbitration findings, and the situation looked worse.

However, there may be another explanation for the silence. During the last search that led to Howell’s hiring, player representatives changed the rules so candidate names remain confidential until the election meeting. Even if Cameron Heyward of the Steelers submitted Harrison’s name, he would not necessarily know yet.

In his self-campaign, Harrison says he is not chasing status but change. He insists that he wants to represent players rather than align with the league office. Right now, he believes too many inside the union do the opposite. So the question remains whether the players will give him that shot.