The circumstances around NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell\u2019s role in keeping an arbitration ruling regarding potential collusive behavior between NFL clubs over guaranteed contracts for veteran players confidential continues to get uglier by the day.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that the union is backing Howell<\/a> despite recent reports<\/a> that the executive director also works as a paid consultant for The Carlyle Group, a private equity firm that is one of the few approved for investment in NFL teams. Essentially, Howell is being paid by both the union and a financial firm with stakes in the exact group of people the union represents players against: owners of the 32 NFL franchises.<\/p>\n In a memo sent to the union\u2019s player membership and obtained by Schefter, the NFLPA firmly backed Howell.<\/p>\n NFLPA player leadership is backing executive director Lloyd Howell as it looks at issues in question.<\/p>\n Here is the message from the NFLPA Executive Committee to its player membership and obtained today by ESPN.<\/p>\n \u201cAs members of the NFLPA Executive Committee, we categorically\u2026<\/p>\n \u2014 Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 13, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cAs members of the NFLPA Executive Committee, we categorically reject false reports insinuating doubts within this committee or suggestions that we have asked our Executive Director to step down,\u201d the statement read. \u201cWe further reject attempts to mischaracterize the committee\u2019s views or divide our membership. We have established a deliberate process to carefully assess the issues that have been raised and will not engage in a rush to judgement. We believe in and remain committed to working with our Executive Director and other members of NFLPA staff and player leadership who have a shared mission to advance the best interests of players. As we approach the 2025 season, we look forward to continuing our important work together and ensuring the strength and unity of our association.\u201d<\/p>\n It is unclear exactly what \u201cfalse reports\u201d the NFLPA Executive Committee is referring to when it suggests people within the committee were encouraging Howell to step down. Per a report by ESPN\u2019s Don Van Natta Jr. and Kalyn Kahler last week, a union lawyer asked Howell to consider resigning from his consultant position at The Carlyle Group in order to tamp down any apparent conflicts of interest, but the executive director declined.<\/p>\n But that report said a union lawyer \u2014 not a member of the Executive Committee \u2014 urged Howell to resign from his consultant position with a private equity firm \u2014 not as head of the NFLPA.<\/p>\n The statement further illustrates a culture of dysfunction (and potentially even, corruption) within the NFLPA. Pro Football Talk\u2019s Mike Florio, who helped break the initial story about possible collusive behavior regarding contract guarantees alongside Meadowlark Media\u2019s Pablo Torre, suggests that \u201cplayer apathy\u201d<\/a> is partly to blame.<\/p>\n The players themselves seem to be relatively unbothered by the reporting insomuch as it directly impacts their salaries. And that\u2019s how the NFLPA is able to hire Howell under the darkness of night, allow him to work both sides, hiding arbitration rulings<\/a> that could directly lead to higher salaries, then release gaslighting statements about \u201cfalse reports\u201d in the media. If the rank-and-file raised hell, like reporting about this case would suggest they have every right to do, it\u2019s hard to imagine the NFLPA would be confident enough to send such a brazenly misleading statement to its membership.<\/p>\n However, that\u2019s the strategy union leadership is deciding to employ in order to protect their own self-interests, likely at the harm of the players they represent.<\/p>\n \t