NFLPA Report Card: Jets Coaching Staff Ranked Least Efficient?
When it comes to working conditions, the New York Jets fall just short of making the grade.
According to a recently-released study by the NFLPA, the Jets are ranked No. 19 among all 32 NFL teams in terms of overall satisfaction with their workplace environment.
The survey was administered to approximately 1,300 players throughout the league, who were asked to rate various elements about their working conditions, including treatment of their families, food service/nutrition, weight room, strength coaches, training room, training staff, locker room, and team travel.
"The New York Jets are ranked 19th in our team guide," wrote the NFLPA. "Their facilities all grade slightly above average, and while there was nothing overtly problematic identified in the results, there is nothing that stands out as excellent either. In general, the sentiment is that the facility is getting old and can use upgrading."
Encouragingly enough, 77 percent of Jets players believe that owner Woody Johnson is willing to invest in necessary upgrades to the MetLife Stadium facilities, ranking him No. 24 among his peers.
While the Jets earned passing marks in all categories, they ranked particularly low with regard to their strength coaches and training staff. Before such scores are deemed to be a scathing review of Dr. Brad DeWeese (director of high performance,) Mike Nicolini (head strength and conditioning coach) and David Zuffaleto (head athletic trainer,) it should be noted that the majority of Jets players responded in kind to the training staff "moderately adding" to their individual success. Due to several NFL teams having ranked their training staffs very highly, the grades are expected to hold greater weight than that of their ranking.
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Perhaps most importantly, the Jets responses indicate a need for the coaching staff (ranked last) to spend their time more efficiently -- citing the additional amount of time spent at the facilities as "much later than other teams in the league." Per the overall survey results, "longer hours are not necessarily correlated to winning," as seven of the top eight coaches who ranked most efficient with their players' time made the playoffs in 2023.