Getty Image / Grant Halverson
An annual survey from The Athletic is out where they poll 31 sports agents representing NFL players and the results are fascinating especially when put in the context of the annual NFLPA survey which polls the players themselves. The Kansas City Chiefs got torched in the NFLPA Survey and received scores of F for Training Staff, Nutrition/Dietician, and Team Travel, F- for Ownership, and D+ for Treatment of Families.
Looking at the annual NFL agents survey from The Athletic, the Kansas City Chiefs actually received pretty spectacular grades. They ranked 3rd from NFL agents voting them as the ‘best run franchise’ with agents calling out their Hall of Fame coach, GM, tight end and ownership. There were also 6 NFL agents who said Patrick Mahomes would be worth $100M+ per year on the free agent market.
NFL Agents Survey Reveals Carolina Panthers As Most Unstable NFL Franchise
But it was the Carolina Panthers in the NFC South, one of the NFL’s teams to have never won a Super Bowl, that got called out by agents as being horribly mismanaged and dysfunctional.
The Carolina Panthers received the most votes (9) from NFL agents when asked ‘which is the most unstable franchise?’ Carolina was followed by the Las Vegas Raiders (7) and the Jets, Jaguars, Cowboys, and Cardinals all with 3 votes each.
When asked who the most unstable NFL franchise is, one NFL agent said “Panthers. Organizational stability comes from the owner, and the front office needs more time than the owner (David Tepper) gives. A strong QB can keep a team viable regardless of the front office, but what’s the plan?”
Another NFL agent responded saying “Panthers. I think the headline for this section should be that for the first time in my career, most NFL organizations are relatively competent. I can only think of a few that aren’t run well, starting with Carolina because of Tepper’s involvement. They didn’t get a big haul in the Brian Burns trade, either.”
Professional athletes in America rarely have control over where they play as rookies and for their first few years in any league. But as veterans they obviously have much more control over their future when it comes time to sign long-term contracts. Based on this NFL Agents Survey from The Athletic, the Carolina Panthers have a lot of work to do in order to ink long-term talent and compete in the NFC South.