Super Bowl champ Chiefs players aren’t happy. Clark Hunt, Mark Donovan need to listen | Opinion
Do the Super Bowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs play football in a hostile work environment? After the release of a player survey, the club must address players’ concerns, particularly about head trainer Rick Burkholder.
With great interest, we read the NFL Players Association’s report card on the Chiefs, an anonymous survey of players on the 2022 roster. Overall, the Chiefs — one of 11 teams that do not offer day care — ranked 29th out of 32 on the scoring guide.
Our take: Chiefs owner Clark Hunt and club president Mark Donovan can’t ignore the results.
Out of 32 teams, the Chiefs rated dead last among training staffs across the NFL, according to the union’s survey. Players called for a more welcoming environment in the training room, though it goes out of its way to note that criticism doesn’t apply to “the rest of the training staff” apart from Burkholder, “which is generally well liked.” That’s a problem that must be addressed immediately. When you invest millions of dollars into players, taking care of their physical health and well-being has to be a priority.
Players generally feel Burkholder did not provide the level of personal care they needed, according to the NFLPA’s report. Team members reported feeling discouraged from reporting injuries and were afraid to speak up for better care.
“Several players had negative opinions about head trainer Rick Burkholder, feeling that he does not treat players fairly and consistently, or with personal care,” the report, released Wednesday, read. That’s hardly a glowing endorsement of a key Chiefs contributor.
No matter how you slice it, that dynamic could create a toxic workplace, and the Chiefs must be willing to answer questions about the survey’s findings. As of Friday, the front office had not commented on the report.
Other findings included: subpar weight rooms; no game-day day care for players’ children and an owner unwilling to invest in team facilities.
Asked about Hunt’s willingness to invest in upgrades, only 56% of players believed Clark would pay up for facility improvements. He ranked 27th in that category, according to the report.
Jackson County residents have paid for renovations and upgrades at Arrowhead Stadium. Taxpayers, season ticket holders and Chiefs fans deserve to know why the club’s building infrastructure ranked near the bottom of the NFL.
The organization could dismiss the findings as unscientific but they shouldn’t.
Football is big business. And winning is difficult. Teams use free agency to lure players of need into the fold. Free agents will read these reports and want to know what the club is doing to improve conditions for themselves and their families. As an organization, the Chiefs must have an answer.
