The Arizona Cardinals took a hit in the offseason after the NFLPA released team report cards about their working conditions. They received failing grades in five of eight categories.
They have begun making improvements, in part because of what new head coach Jonathan Gannon has requested and what he has heard from players.
However, the team isn’t just reacting to the report card. Some improvements were already in the works, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer.
Arizona already had some renovations underway before Gannon and GM Monti Ossenfort were hired, or the NFLPA report card was released. The Cardinals have already upgraded their weight room and their training room, replaced the turf in their field house and invested in sports science initiatives. And, by the sounds of it, there’s more coming.
Gannon, speaking to reporters at the league’s annual meeting in Phoenix this week, mentioned improvements in food and technology, among other things.
The Cardinals made major upgrades to the facility and weight room eight years ago. They spent millions of dollars in upgrades to State Farm Stadium over the last few seasons.
Perhaps these upgrades were all part of long-term plans. Perhaps the team knew what the report card results were and when they were coming so they got out on top of it.
But it is good to see the team trying to change what has been a longtime narrative of being less than a first-class organization.
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
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