Bills' Reid Ferguson on NFLPA ‘PR nightmare': Union culture must change

New York Times

24-07-2025

PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Reid Ferguson has been around longer than any other current Buffalo Bill, and only six teammates are under contract longer into the future.
Buffalo's roster looks to Ferguson for leadership. That responsibility weighed on the long snapper's mind Tuesday as he drove the New York State Thruway from Orchard Park to St. John Fisher University and the start of training camp.
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The Bills recently voted Ferguson their NFL Players Association representative, and the union is in turmoil.
'A lot of my time was spent thinking about all of the questions that I might get asked from guys,' Ferguson said Wednesday, 'I certainly was (thinking about that) when I showed up.'
NFPLA executive director Lloyd Howell Jr. resigned last week after a deluge of reports from 'Pablo Torre Finds Out,' Pro Football Talk and ESPN about conflicts of interest, curious nondisclosures to membership about collusion and expensing strip-club visits.
The union's chief strategy officer, JC Tretter, stepped down three days later. Tretter, a suburban Buffalo native, was a favorite to at least become the NFLPA's interim director and possibly succeed Howell permanently. A substantial hurdle for Tretter, however, was the growing concern that he and Howell were in cahoots.
The revelations have been humiliating for the union and problematic for Ferguson to his core. A locker room sage, Ferguson was named Buffalo's captain three times and its NFL Salute to Service Award nominee in 2022 and 2023.
Ferguson said teammates are more confused than upset. They've seen the headlines and have questions. Most crucial, he said, is transparency in sharing what he knows 'from as many responsible parties as I can' and being transparent, even with reporters. Ferguson wasn't one bit squirrelly answering questions about what he conceded is 'a PR nightmare' and issues that eat at his conscience.
'Speaking as Reid Ferguson, I'm a Christian,' he said. 'I like to live my life in that way. I want to be a light for my faith and what I believe in. When you look at the stuff that has come out, I can't say that's extremely pleasing. Not just Lloyd, everybody involved.
'Being at a strip club is not something I'm particularly interested in having in my life. Not placing a ton of judgment on people, but news comes out that you're trying to get reimbursed?'
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ESPN reported Howell and two union employees expensed $2,426 from an Atlanta strip club during the NFLPA's annual summit in February and charged $738.82 for a car service to a Florida strip club in 2023. Reporters also found out Howell was a consultant over the past two years for The Caryle Group, an NFL-approved investment firm seeking minority ownership in NFL clubs. Howell resigned from The Carlyle Group, too, but the organization gave no details.
Ferguson was among Buffalo's alternate union reps — veteran edge rusher Von Miller held the lead role but is no longer on the team — when Howell was voted to succeed DeMaurice Smith, who retired in 2023 after 14 years as executive director. As such, Ferguson wasn't directly involved in vetting Howell and said he couldn't speak with authority about the process.
'That (disclosure) was not made aware to enough guys pre-voting process, post-voting process,' Ferguson said of The Carlyle Group conflict. 'There wasn't any communication that went out to members of the union regarding that specific thing about Lloyd or that side of Lloyd that I'm sure more guys would have raised some questions about.'
As for Tretter, Ferguson was more sympathetic despite whispers that the former Cleveland Browns guard from Akron Central High might have manipulated Howell's rise to the NFLPA throne in exchange for a leadership role himself. Ferguson described his direct interactions with Tretter as favorable, and said additional insights from people Ferguson trusts indicate a good man who might have made some mistakes.
'When I look at JC, my feelings are relatively positive,' Ferguson said.
Ferguson stressed the most critical next step for the NFLPA is identifying and installing the right interim leader to steer the union through its self-made turbulence. He spoke repeatedly of culture issues that go deeper than strip clubs and side deals that recently came to light.
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The Fergusons are a proud football family. His brother, Blake Ferguson, won a national championship at LSU and spent the past five seasons long-snapping for the Miami Dolphins.
The sport has helped shape him and his loved ones more than most, and he wants better from the union, whose sole purpose is to protect the players.
'Setting the culture of the union straight,' Ferguson said, is most important. 'It's not great right now. It hasn't been great for a little bit. … What came out is, I think, a trickle-down effect of the culture that exists at the union, thinking that it's OK to do that, thinking that it's OK to expense a strip club and ATM withdrawals. Personal opinion, but I think that's shared among the other guys.
'The CBA is up in 2031. And there's a couple things coming up before that, in '27 or '28 with TV stuff. So now's the time, and it's a little unfortunate that this happened, butting up before the season starts, but that's what we signed up for. We'll do what needs to be done to pick somebody and make those tough decisions.'