Are the Pittsburgh Steelers really one of the worst franchises in the National Football League?
If you believe the people who play for the team, the answer is "yes."
The NFL Players' Association, the union representing players, conducts a survey each year with players from all 32 franchises.
The survey covers 11 aspects of a franchise: treatment of families, food and dining area, nutritionist and dietitian, locker room, training room, training staff, weight room, strength coaches, team travel, head coach, and ownership.
Each of those aspects is awarded a letter grade for each team, based on the accumulative responses of the respective team's players.
Overall, the Steelers ranked 28th out of the league's 32 teams. Ownership also ranked 28th, with players giving President Art Rooney II a six out of 10 in perceived willingness to invest in facilities, which took 30th out of the team's 32 owners.
The biggest contributor to that low ranking were the team's strength coaches, which received a C-minus, ranked dead last in the NFL.
Compared with other teams, a high number of Steelers players said they do not receive an individualized training plan.
Another low ranking included the nutritionist and dietitian, who received a C-plus, good for 30th in the league. Players reported feeling the dietitian is inaccessible.
Head coach Mike Tomlin received the team's only "A" grade, which placed him seventh in the league.
