NFL Scandal: NFLPA Executive Director in the Eye of the Storm
The executive director of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), Lloyd Howell Jr., received compensation of $3.4 million last year, assuming one of the most influential roles in the sports world. His primary responsibility is to oversee a labor union that represents more than 2,400 members and possesses assets valued at over $1 billion. However, apparently, this sum was not enough, nor was the workload. Howell also held a part-time consulting position with The Carlyle Group, a private equity firm that, coincidentally, has the league’s approval to seek minority stakes in NFL franchises.This situation, by itself, should be reason enough to separate Howell from his position in the NFLPA, at least if the members care about who represents them. Since taking office in June 2023, Howell has not demonstrated a clear commitment to the players. The NFLPA previously signed a confidentiality agreement with the NFL to conceal an arbitration decision from January, preventing players, their agents, and the public from having access to relevant information. The 61-page decision, issued by arbitrator Christopher Droney, revealed that NFL owners colluded, primarily against quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson, Kyler Murray, and Russell Wilson, to avoid offering fully guaranteed contracts. This situation arose after the guaranteed $230 million agreement that the Cleveland Browns gave to Deshaun Watson in 2022, which caused concern among league owners. Although Droney acquitted the owners of the collusion charge, his ruling contained intriguing details, including conversations at owner meetings and text messages on the subject. Droney also noted that, “by a clear preponderance of the evidence,” Commissioner Roger Goodell and the league’s legal counsel, Jeff Pash, urged the owners to restrict guaranteed contracts. A union would typically disclose this type of information, as it is valuable for players to know what they are up against and for the public to consider in the next collective bargaining agreement. That is the union’s function: to represent the interests of the players. However, almost no one was aware of this situation. It is unknown why the NFLPA would hide such information, or at least it is a matter of speculation. What did happen is that, two weeks after the podcast that revealed the information and six months after the initial decision, the union filed an appeal. Why this delay? NFL players should be outraged by all of this: the inexplicable confidentiality agreement with the league, the CEO’s side job, and the general confusion. For every multi-million dollar deal like Deshaun Watson’s, there are hundreds of players looking to get what they can, while they can. If the NFLPA is willing to make a confidentiality agreement in an arbitration hearing involving potential Hall of Famers like Lamar Jackson and Russell Wilson, what would they do with the rank-and-file players? Fans shouldn’t be happy either. While there won’t be a wave of sympathy for well-paid players, it is critical to the competitive balance of the NFL to have strong ownership and a strong workforce. If there were collusion to suppress salaries or limit guaranteed money, it could affect almost every team. Let’s consider one of the most striking details of the arbitration decision. In March 2023, Jackson, who was then 26 years old and had already won an MVP award with the Baltimore Ravens, was subject to a “non-exclusive franchise tag.” This meant that he was free to negotiate and sign an offer with other teams (the Ravens could match it later). However, no club contacted Jackson. He ended up re-signing with the Ravens and won another MVP award in 2023. There are many reasons not to pursue Jackson (playing style, cost, injury history), making collusion almost impossible to prove. Even so, if you’re a fan of a team with quarterback problems in recent years, you should know that your club, coincidentally, didn’t bother to make a phone call to chat with an absolutely electrifying talent.It would be a scandalous conflict for the head of a labor union to have interests in a third party that is aligned with the NFL.
Jim Quinn, former legal advisor to the union
Which side were Howell and others on in the NFLPA?
The fact that that question can be asked is enough for a complete explanation of what happened. If this results in a total cleansing of the union’s leadership, well, we know that at least one person already has a consulting job to fall back on.
