Spoiler alert: Gamers across the NFL suppose Patrick Mahomes is fairly good.
The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs quarterback and two-time MVP was our runaway winner as the perfect participant within the sport as we speak, in line with the 85 gamers our beat writers from The Athletic spoke to over the previous month. That’s no shock, however the remainder of the solutions weren’t so apparent, as we got down to conduct our first nameless NFL participant ballot.
We requested every participant we spoke to the identical set of questions, though not each participant answered all of them. They have been granted anonymity to be able to candidly provide their opinions on the league’s gamers, coaches, commissioner and a number of the greatest matters going through the league as we speak — together with working again salaries, the grass versus turf debate and extra.
Gamers have been polled on who dishes the perfect trash discuss, which coach in addition to their very own they’d wish to play for and who’re probably the most underrated gamers within the league. Among the extra entertaining responses got here when gamers have been requested which group has probably the most annoying fan base.
“Buffalo,” one participant responded. “They be mooning people and it’s like, ‘Why y’all exhibiting y’all ass?’ F— outta right here with that.”
Sorry, Payments followers, identical to the standings proper now, that wasn’t sufficient to get you into first place.
All through this participant ballot — and upcoming tales that may dive deeper into a number of the questions — we hope you be taught extra about what as we speak’s NFL gamers actually suppose.
(Editor’s be aware: In some instances, the mixed percentages of all of the solutions to a query might not add as much as 100%, as a result of particular person percentages have been rounded up or right down to the closest tenth of a share level. Half-votes have been awarded if a participant gave two solutions to a query.)
Did you actually count on anyone else? Almost half of the respondents chosen Mahomes, many with out giving it a lot thought.
“He’s Patrick Mahomes,” mentioned one participant.
“Don’t you must say him?” added one other.
“There’s no one like him,” another mentioned.
As if any justification for this vote was wanted, one participant supplied this: “Regardless of how a lot you’re down, he nonetheless can carry your group again.”
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That mentioned, greater than half of the 84 respondents to this query went a unique course, with Los Angeles Rams defensive deal with Aaron Donald incomes runner-up honors.
“It’s self-explanatory on that one. Nobody can cease him,” supplied one participant.
Mentioned one participant who selected the Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett: “I used to be gonna sit right here and debate quarterbacks, however there’s your reply. The man is out of this world.”
Speaking trash is part of sports activities, however there are some gamers within the NFL extra inclined to ruffle feathers with their on-field chatter.
Security C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who’s now with the Detroit Lions after spending final season with the Philadelphia Eagles throughout their Tremendous Bowl run, tops the checklist. He did so regardless of not taking part in since Week 2, when he injured a pectoral muscle.
“I feel that’s simply sort of like his schtick,” one participant mentioned. “I don’t know if it essentially works, nevertheless it’s what he reverts to.”
Jalen Ramsey, who additionally missed prolonged time earlier than returning to the sphere final month for the Miami Dolphins, obtained the second-most votes. “He has quite a bit to say,” one participant opined.
And don’t for a second suppose trash discuss is proscribed to simply defensive gamers. The Los Angeles Chargers’ Keenan Allen, one of many NFL’s most constant wideouts, is understood to have a factor or two to say throughout video games. “Large-time s— talker,” one participant mentioned. “It’s nonstop.”
Offensive linemen are inclined to get in on the act, too. Mentioned a participant of Carolina Panthers guard Austin Corbett: “I feel his trash-talking is fairly elite. It’s the psychological warfare. It’s so good you don’t even know what’s happening.”
When unsure, go along with the pinnacle coach who remarkably has by no means had a dropping season. That continues to be the excellence for Mike Tomlin, who once more has the Pittsburgh Steelers effectively on their solution to a seventeenth consecutive .500 or higher marketing campaign with him in cost.
“His messaging, management and perspective appear in line with a successful components,” one participant mentioned.
“He’s powerful and accountable, and he calls for that out of his gamers,” added one other.
From the veteran, Tremendous Bowl-winning coach in Tomlin, gamers shifted to the younger, quirky offensive mastermind in Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel.
“He looks as if a reasonably enjoyable coach to play for,” one participant mentioned of the 40-year-old in his second season in Miami.
Not far behind have been Kansas Metropolis’s Andy Reid and Detroit’s Dan Campbell, the latter of whom is likely to be the favourite for this season’s NFL Coach of the 12 months award.
“A man who actually loves ball,” mentioned a participant who selected Reid. “So I feel that’s a extremely good coach.”
Of Campbell, one other participant mentioned: “I recognize coaches which might be gamers’ coaches and get the perfect out of their gamers.”
Typically on-field manufacturing doesn’t all the time result in gamers getting the respect they deserve. No matter how effectively some carry out, their names aren’t introduced up as a lot when discussing the highest guys at their respective positions.
Cincinnati Bengals broad receiver Tee Higgins led the vote, however there are a mess of gamers who obtained recognition amongst their friends for being underrated.
“His manufacturing speaks for itself, and no one ever talks about him when the subject of finest RBs within the league comes up,” one participant mentioned of Chargers dual-threat working again Austin Ekeler. “He’s very important to that offense working and in addition within the go sport,” one other participant added.
And although the tight finish dialogue is generally dominated by Chiefs All-Professional Travis Kelce, gamers really feel the San Francisco 49ers’ George Kittle and Baltimore Ravens’ Mark Andrews ought to get much more credit score than they already do.
“I feel he’s the perfect tight finish within the league,” one participant mentioned unapologetically about Kittle.
“I don’t understand how underrated he’s, however everyone is all the time speaking about Kelce and Kittle, not him,” one other participant mentioned in regard to Andrews.
It seems gamers aren’t scared away from the sight of the stadium that’s hosted 5 consecutive AFC Championship Video games. (Then once more, possibly Arrowhead Stadium’s regular presence on their TV is influencing their resolution.)
Regardless of the cause, gamers love taking part in within the NFL’s third-oldest stadium (opened in 1972) even when some did point out points with Kansas Metropolis’s cramped locker rooms.
“That place is electrical,” one participant mentioned. “That’s one of many coolest locations to play. In my view, the loudest within the NFL.”
Minnesota’s seven-year-old U.S. Financial institution Stadium — regardless of being an indoor stadium with turf — was lauded for most of the similar ear-rattling causes.
“That place was f—ing loud,” one participant mentioned.
Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium additionally fared effectively, together with Inexperienced Bay’s historic Lambeau Discipline — “The followers and the ambiance are the perfect within the league.” — and Seattle’s Lumen Discipline.
“If it was grass — whoo! — it will be excellent,” one participant who selected Seattle mentioned, whereas one other added: “It virtually feels such as you’re in a hen’s nest. Gotham Metropolis.”
Arrowhead and U.S. Financial institution led the best way for finest stadiums, however gamers had reverse viewpoints of MetLife Stadium, FedEx Discipline and Highmark Stadium, which have been the highest vote-getters for worst to play in.
The Commanders’ house area has by no means been a preferred taking part in vacation spot, and this ballot solidified that even earlier than Sunday, when there wasn’t any scorching water or ample water strain for gamers to bathe after the New York Giants’ win over Washington.
“Nearly all the pieces about (FedEx) is beneath the usual of what an NFL stadium must be,” one participant mentioned. “The place is only a dump,” mentioned one other.
As for MetLife, the place each the Giants and Jets play, a participant voiced that the “turf sucks and the entire place is lame.” One other agreed in regards to the turf, including that the “followers are horrible. The whole lot about that place is horrible.”
Although Lambeau Discipline was among the many prime 5 for finest stadium, it was additionally prime 5 for the worst stadium — for one apparent cause: “F—ing Inexperienced Bay, as a result of it’s tremendous chilly!”
In the meantime, the Oakland Coliseum hasn’t been used for the reason that Raiders moved to Las Vegas in 2020 however nonetheless managed to select up a few votes.
The Eagles and Cowboys apparently aren’t simply competing on the sphere, with each grabbing a couple of quarter of the votes from the 73 gamers who answered this query.
“Simply loud, impolite and obnoxious,” one participant mentioned of Eagles followers, who is likely to be nodding alongside in settlement at this second. “They simply swear they’re the largest soccer gurus on earth,” added one other.
Mentioned a participant who picked the Cowboys: “They normally suppose they need to win the Tremendous Bowl yearly.”
As for the AFC East battle for third place between the Payments and Jets, whereas mooning in Buffalo earned Payments followers demerits, the traditional “J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets” chant drove one participant to select New York.
“That J-E-T-S stuff. They have been doing that in warmups,” he mentioned.
From the surface trying in, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell doesn’t look like beloved throughout the league. However when speaking with gamers for our ballot, the vast majority of voters gave him their seal of approval.
“He continues to raise the league and make everybody more cash,” one participant mentioned.
One other participant mentioned he’d give Goodell a thumbs up due to “the best way he’s rising the sport proper now, the best way he’s increasing it. As a result of at one level once I was in faculty, and the entire concussion stuff was popping out, I used to be scared, like, ‘Hey, soccer won’t final,’ however now, I don’t really feel that method.”
Not everybody polled was in favor of Goodell’s method.
“Thumbs down. He’s performed fined me too many instances,” one participant added, whereas one other talked about Goodell “forgets too typically that the league is in regards to the gamers.”
The largest story right here is likely to be that two gamers — among the many 81 who responded — gave NFL officers a ten out of 10 ranking. Total, although, the outcomes are largely what you’d count on, with the overwhelming majority of scores falling within the center vary, as 57 gamers (70.4 %) chosen between a 4 and seven.
“They miss some calls, nevertheless it’s a extremely onerous job,” mentioned one sympathetic participant who rated them an 8.
“Both they’re lacking apparent calls or they’re calling all the pieces,” mentioned a participant who rated them a 4. “There’s no in-between, and it varies a lot between crews that you just by no means know what to anticipate.”
One participant who gave a 2 ranking supplied an answer for enchancment: “All of them must be full-time workers. It’s a no brainer.”
There’s no disputing how gamers throughout the league really feel in regards to the ongoing turf versus grass debate. Almost 83 % of those that gave a solution mentioned it’s an actual concern.
“You get up within the morning feeling 10 instances higher after you performed on grass in comparison with once you performed on turf,” mentioned one participant.
“I’ve been vocal about it. I feel our locker room is fairly unified on it,” one other participant added. “It sucks, and there’s sufficient cash to remove it. It’s time.”
Some say they’ll really feel the distinction not solely after video games however earlier than the primary snap is taken.
“Even warming up on the turf area in Minnesota harm my knees,” a participant declared.
“You are feeling like s—,” a lineman added. “Particularly being an enormous man, working on turf, your knees harm. While you fall and journey, you don’t wish to stand up. You are feeling it the subsequent day quite a bit.”
The positional worth of working backs was a scorching matter this offseason with the contract conditions of Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Jonathan Taylor. Solely Taylor earned a long-term extension (and solely after a messy standoff). Whereas working backs throughout the league gathered on Zoom to debate options, there are few choices till the collective bargaining settlement expires in 2030, when the NFL Gamers Affiliation may attempt to search adjustments to the franchise tag.
Working backs have complained about how the tag unfairly impacts them — solely punters and kickers make much less on a franchise tag — however the actuality is that they would wish assist from their locker room to enact adjustments. A rise in pay for working backs may scale back salaries at different positions. Although our outcomes present that assist exists to some extent, it’s not overwhelming.
“What? No. What makes them higher than me?” supplied one participant.
One other, who already appears like he has an govt future in thoughts, painted a good bleaker image.
“I do know that working backs complain in regards to the market,” he mentioned. “However from an insider’s perspective, if I used to be ever a GM, I might by no means pay a working again. There’s quite a lot of gifted backs that come out within the draft yearly — at anywhere within the draft. I might by no means draft a working again within the first spherical.”
Different gamers have been extra understanding of the working backs’ plight.
“Yeah. As a result of they’re positively underpaid,” one mentioned. “The franchise tag for a lineman is like, what, $15 (million), $16 million? I imply, s—, that’s greater than nice cash. So, yeah, I positively really feel like they need to be paid extra.”
Others supported a change, however not solely for working backs: “The entire franchise tag rule must be modified basically. It’s change into too highly effective of a software.”
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The NFL has been doing its finest to increase its attain past the USA. This season, there have been 5 video games performed internationally (three in London and two in Frankfurt, Germany). Video games have been additionally performed in Mexico Metropolis in earlier seasons.
After years of listening to the rumors, what if there actually have been a group situated outdoors the USA? Would gamers be fascinated with the opportunity of taking part in for one? The bulk mentioned no, however greater than one-third of these we spoke to mentioned they’d be open to the concept.
“Hell yeah! As a result of abroad they’re gonna pay that cash,” mentioned one participant who might have forgotten a wage cap would nonetheless exist. “Take into consideration a group in Saudi Arabia. I do know that’s far as f—, however no matter. Take into consideration Saudi Arabia and the soccer gamers. They’re giving out billions of {dollars}, so hell yeah I’ll play in Saudi Arabia.”
One participant on the fence mentioned it will depend upon the place the group was situated. “Most likely. That’d be cool. Solely in England, although. I’m not going to f—ing Germany.”
“Hell no. I’d retire,” one other participant mentioned.
He wasn’t alone. Mentioned one other participant: “No. I like dropping my youngsters off at their very nice college and ordering pizza from the place down the road. If I used to be 23, possibly (it will be) totally different. However that’s simply not for me.”
(High illustration: John Bradford / The Athletic;pictures of Mike Tomlin, Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Donaldby Cooper Neill and Justin Edmonds / Getty Photographs)
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