NFL Player Calls Out Bengals 'S--t Show' After F-Minus Grade for Treatment of Families

Multiple Cincinnati Bengals players told ESPN's Sarah Barshop that being unable to meet their families indoors after home games contributed to the F-minus grade the franchise received for "treatment of families" on its 2025 NFLPA report card.

One of the reasons the NFLPA gave for the Bengals' poor family treatment rating was the team's post-game family area. Voters gave the area a rating of 4.69 out of 10, according to the players' association.

Barshop wrote that one player said this postgame meeting area was "a large white tent roughly 20 yards away from the players' parking lot."

"They have that tent out there, but it's a s--t show and it's cold and it's not inside," the player told Barshop.

Another player indicated to Barshop that the problems with family treatment were particularly troubling given team owner Mike Brown works with several family members, including his daughter Katie Blackburn, in the Bengals front office.

"Isn't it great that your daughters and your granddaughters are at work with you? And then we have to go in the parking lot to see our family in the rain? Yeah, it sucks," the player told Barshop.

The NFLPA noted on the Bengals' report card that the franchise is the only NFL team that doesn't offer players' families either daycare or a family room during home games.

According to Barshop, Blackburn said at the NFL's annual league meeting in late March that she saw the franchise's F-minus family treatment grade as "a little harsh."

"We are always happy to talk to players about issues they might have... It doesn't really offend me," Blackburn said, per Barshop. "If there's something they want us to look at, we can take that message and build on it and take a look and see if there are things that we might be able to do to make people feel better. We're certainly open to that."

The NFLPA surveyed 1,695 players between Aug. 26 and Nov. 20, 2024 in order to compile the latest edition of their annual team rankings. The Bengals were overall ranked 24th out of 32 teams.