Friday, news broke the NFL won its arbitration case over the NFLPA that would prevent the union from formally issuing annual team report cards. Ones that often offered scathing reviews of teams, especially of owner Art Rooney II and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Though the report cards and feedback will still exist behind-closed-doors and likely and inevitably leaked out, Rooney must’ve been happy about the NFL’s big win.

Am I happy about it? Heck no. Transparency is always a good thing. The NFL seemingly won on a technicality of the reports not capturing a fully accurate picture, though I’m not sure how that’d even be achieved without every player vote being shared, but the league has no interest in fixing the system and keeping them public. The more hoops required to share them to the outside world, the better it is for the league.

After the 2024 season, Pittsburgh ranked 28th out of 32 teams. Rooney’s personal grade reflected the same. A year earlier, he was named second-worst owner. 

It’s impossible to know if Rooney made a private push to get the NFL to squash the report cards. It’s logical any owner and franchise regularly criticized to want the cards to go away in such a public and formal setting. A list of 11 team complaints cited in the official ruling left out Pittsburgh. Perhaps Rooney didn’t make a comment or did so covertly.

Maybe it didn’t need to be said. Roger Goodell is smart enough to know anything that makes owners and teams look bad should be addressed.

Previously, Rooney shared skepticism over what the reports had to say. In 2023, he struck a more conciliatory tone about their value.

“We’re always open to ideas [about] what we need to improve,” he told reporters. “I think we have an open-door policy with our players and things that they see that they think we can improve on.”

After another year of negative marks, Rooney’s comments turned harsher. 

“It doesn’t get presented to us; it gets presented to the media,” he said. “So as far as I’m concerned, it’s a media opportunity for the players association as opposed to a serious effort of constructive criticism.”

But Rooney, like the other 30 owners (excluding Green Bay, since the organization doesn’t have an official person in that role) had to listen. Minor as they are, Steelers’ facility upgrades have occurred. The locker room received a refresh and more equipment was brought in. It’s possible the team undergoes a larger renovation when their lease expires at the end of the decade. Pittsburgh may even find a new location to practice given their current plot of land simply being too small for any major expansion.

Based on Friday’s ruling, all criticism can happen behind-the-scenes. Rooney’s ostensible glee isn’t his alone. Every owner was happy about the ruling.

Some will get leaked. But a leak and an official “unveiling” being able to compare and contrast grades all at once are different. Any negativity on future reports won’t carry the same weight or impact. It’s bad for transparency but good for business, which is Goodell and the NFL’s ultimate goal.