03-03-2023, 10:53 AM
(03-03-2023, 10:05 AM)pally Wrote: The issues the players brought up with the Bengals are fixable but the issues brought up by Chiefs' players are institutional. PLayers will come to a winning team who won't provide supplements. Teams that take health for granted makes them think twice, even if they are Super Bowl Champs
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2023/03/03/players-say-chiefs-discourage-them-from-reporting-injuries-have-nfls-worst-training-staff/
Players say Chiefs discourage them from reporting injuries, have NFL’s worst training staff
The NFL Players Association says the Super Bowl champion Chiefs have dropped the ball on player health.
The union’s report card for all 32 teams ranked the Chiefs dead last in training staff, giving them a grade of D- and saying that many players have major concerns with head trainer Rick Burkholder.
“They feel discouraged from reporting their injuries,” the NFLPA says of players on the Chiefs. “They do not feel they get the level of personal care that they should. They fear retribution for speaking up for better care.”
On the field, the Chiefs are the top team in the league, but the NFLPA survey found that players don’t think much of the way the franchise treats them. The Chiefs also got poor marks for an outdated facility and for uncomfortable travel arrangements, and overall the NFLPA ranked the Chiefs 29th of the 32 teams.
Very insightful. I was reading on a Chiefs fan site and they were quite surprised. It's possible that prior to this survey, these facts were not widely known, because, as this Chiefs site notes, "Burkholder is typically pained in such a positive light." Here is the site's summary:
"those issues were just part of a more frustrating larger picture in which the Chiefs come up short in important categories, including the way they handled injuries. The Chiefs ranked dead last in the NFL in the “training staff” category with specific critiques from players centering on head trainer Rick Burkholder. The report notes that players felt “discouraged from reporting their injuries” and “fear retribution for speaking up for better care”. Players also said the Chiefs failed to have enough certified athletic trainers on hand.
"While the Chiefs were among the worst teams in nearly every category, it’s this area that’s the most concerning given that player safety should be of paramount importance for the team—winning or not. It’s frankly a bit shocking to read these sorts of accusations since Burkholder is typically painted in such a positive light and the positivity in Arrowhead is notable enough for players to want to come and be a part of it. Perhaps winning does cure everything.
"It will be interesting to see how the Chiefs and other organizations respond to the survey—again, the first of its kind. Tretter expressed that the NFLPA is hoping information leads to action and the Chiefs could likely make a few key changes or updates and alter these grades considerably with more personnel and better accommodations or stadium upgrades. For now, however, the Chiefs aren’t ranked among the best in the NFL at something—the first time we’ve seen this in a long time."
https://arrowheadaddict.com/2023/03/01/kc-chiefs-earn-abysmal-grades-anonymous-nflpa-survey/
