The NFL Players Association has published the results of their annual team report cards. It's the second edition of the anonymous player survey. And this year there is one clear winner: Stephen Ross of the Miami Dolphins. Not only did the NFLPA vote Stephen Ross the best owner in the NFL. They voted the organization #1 overall and in the top-3 in 10 of the 32 categories (including #1 in 5 other categories). The Minnesota Vikings are the only other franchise to score high in every one of the categories. What is abundantly clear is that Stephen Ross and his team run a first class operation across the board. So if Stephen Ross is the best owner in the NFL and the Dolphins run a first class operation top to bottom, where is the on field success?
What this player survey means to a Dolphins fan is that the team will put themselves in positions to succeed. The best organizations attract the best talent. And that's not just specific to football. I think Chris Grier and Mike McDaniel have done a great job turning the Dolphins back into a contender. But if/when they come to the end of their tenure in Miami, top talent will want to replace them. This is a great spot to be in.
This year's survey from the NFLPA is only the second edition. But it seems to be catching on as responses were up from 60% in 2022 to 77% in 2023. There are some franchises where the results are less than ideal. Specifically Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt. The players voted him 32nd in the league out of 32 franchises. What's amazing is there are technically only 31 owners as the Packers do not have an owner. The Cardinals have also been at or near the bottom of the league in most categories over the two editions.
Dolphins fans should be happy with this report. Will it guarantee success on the field for 2024? Absolutely not. Does it mean team owner Stephen Ross is doing everything (within the rules) to win? Absolutely.
