The NFL Players Association has dished out its team report cards, and the Cincinnati Bengals are treading water at best, with some precarious swimming in the deep end - especially when it comes to family treatment and grub dedicated to their players. Ranking a humble 24th overall among their contemporaries, this reflects a marginal hike from their 26th placement in 2024, as per the report cards acquired by WCPO.
As for nitty-gritty, the Bengals snagged a disastrous F for their dining efforts and an even more cringe-worthy F in the family friendliness department, making it clear that munchies and munchkins aren't quite the priority, despite the leadership praises head coach Zac Taylor is collecting, this according to a WCPO report. "The Cincinnati Bengals finish 24th, but to their credit, the club has made significant changes over the last two years," their report card disclosed indicating the club's effort to stop the rot in certain areas without mentioning apparent shortcomings in essential amenities provided to players' families paving the way to those lackluster grades.
Honing in on nourishment, or the lack thereof, the Bengals are one of two NFL entities that skip serving three squares a day to their athletes, although they reportedly did toss in breakfast on days off and Wednesday dinners recently. A dismal 41% of Bengals players feel they're getting a tailored nutrition game plan, landing them dead last in dietitian dealings, as confirmed by a FOX19 report.
The Bengals' house, where jerseys are hung, is another story: the locker room glows with an A+ ranking, spiraling up to third across the league, while training staff and team travel aren't too shabby either with solid A- ranks. As for the man with the checkbook, team owner Mike Brown, the players handed him a C, acknowledging a "slightly contributes" as per Local12 News, effort towards a positive team culture, which is, well, something, "When asked what the team does best, the players consistently point to the leadership of head coach Zac Taylor and mention the hard-working support staff," according to WCPO, the NFLPA report card highlights, a glimpse of sunlight in an otherwise cloudy narrative.
Amidst the report's revelations, performances are juxtaposed against the league’s top dogs, like the back-to-back first-place Miami Dolphins and the Washington Commanders, who leapfrogged from the doldrums of last place to a notable No. 11 under new ownership and coaching. The Bengals find themselves in a seesaw battle, plucking kudos for fostering talent on the field while leaving much to be desired off the gridiron, a position they have been nudging upward from very slowly indeed.
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