Timeline of Lloyd Howell's tenure as NFLPA executive director from election to resignation

New York Times

18-07-2025

Lloyd Howell Jr. resigned from his post as executive director of the NFL Players Association late Thursday night amid rising criticisms at the NFLPA and concerns about Howell's potential conflicts of interest.
As executive director, Howell, 59, was tasked with protecting and advancing the interests of active NFL players. He was elected in 2023 to replace DeMaurice Smith, who had held the role since 2009.
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A graduate of Harvard Business School, Howell spent the bulk of his career climbing the ranks at Booz Allen Hamilton, a D.C.-based defense contractor and consulting firm with expertise in cybersecurity, engineering and espionage. He spent time there as the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. Like his predecessor Smith, Howell took the executive director role with no previous connection to the NFL.
At the time, that background generated excitement within the NFLPA about Howell's potential to bridge the varied interests of membership in an uphill battle against ownership and the commissioner. Two years later, controversies led to Howell's abrupt departure before he was able to negotiate his first collective bargaining agreement. The current CBA expires in March 2031.
Here is a timeline of Howell's tenure as executive director from his election to his resignation.
June 28, 2023: The NFLPA elected Howell as executive director following a 16-month search that was criticized for its lack of transparency. At least three former NFL players were considered for the role, as reported by The Athletic — Matt Schaub, Domonique Foxworth and Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow Sr. — but Howell's hiring proved that on-field NFL experience was neither a requirement nor an emphasis. Howard became the NFLPA's fourth leader since the league's merger in 1970.
June 22, 2025: The Athletic reported that an official inside the NFLPA raised concerns that union officials, including Howell, could potentially enrich themselves via OneTeam Partners, a company that licenses athletes' name, image and likeness rights.
Federal authorities are involved in an ongoing investigation into OneTeam Partners and union officials, as first reported by ESPN on May 30.
June 24: The 'Pablo Torre Finds Out' podcast and Pro Football Talk published the findings of a 61-page arbitration ruling that investigated collusion by the NFL concerning guaranteed player contracts. In the decision, arbitrator Christopher Droney ruled there wasn't sufficient evidence of collusion, but details of the report included findings that league executives had urged team owners to reduce guaranteed player compensation.
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July 9: ESPN reported that the NFLPA had a confidentiality agreement with the NFL that hid information in the aforementioned arbitration decision. Some players told the outlet they were surprised by the details of the ruling and unsure why the union kept it from them. An NFLPA source confirmed that Howell and the union plan to appeal the arbitration ruling.
July 10: Reports surfaced that Howell is also a paid, part-time consultant for The Carlyle Group, a private equity firm that the NFL approved to pursue minority ownership stakes in franchises.
Howell joined The Carlyle Group in March 2023, three months before his election as NFLPA executive director. Two sources with knowledge of the NFLPA's selection and hiring process told The Athletic that NFLPA leadership knew about Howell's work with the firm and the union's legal team and an independent search firm vetted Howell to ensure there were no conflicts of interest.
In August 2024, one year into Howell's tenure, the NFL approved private equity minority investors. Four sources with knowledge of the situation said that when it became apparent The Carlyle Group would have an opportunity to invest in the NFL, discussions took place about Howell's position with the firm. Legal teams for both the NFLPA and The Carlyle Group determined Howell's work with aerospace and defense was far enough removed from the side of the business that would work with the NFL that he wasn't at risk of a conflict of interest.
July 13: The NFLPA executive committee sent a message in support of Howell to members and rejected reports that Howell had been asked to step down.
July 17: A second arbitration ruling came to light, this one involving a grievance won by the NFL against the NFLPA over fake injuries. The original grievance, filed in 2023, stemmed from a comment made by former union president and current NFLPA chief strategy officer JC Tretter in which he suggested players could fake injuries as a contract-negotiation tactic. A decision was reached on Feb. 20 in which arbitrator Sidney Moreland determined Tretter's comments violated the CBA.
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Additionally, ESPN reported inconsistencies over players' knowledge of a sexual discrimination and retaliation lawsuit made against Howell while he was a senior executive at Booz Allen in 2011. Two player representatives who voted for Howell told ESPN they were surprised to learn about the lawsuit, while two other players who sat on the union's executive committee that vetted and chose Howell as a finalist said the existence of the lawsuit was shared with all player reps at the 2023 election meeting. The lawsuit was settled in July 2015 for an undisclosed sum, per ESPN.
Late in the evening, Howell announced his resignation via a statement from the NFLPA.
'It's clear that my leadership has become a distraction to the important work the NFLPA advances every day,' Howell wrote. '… I hope this will allow the NFLPA to maintain its focus on its player members ahead of the upcoming season.'
A source briefed on the procedure told The Athletic that the NFLPA executive board plans to meet in the coming days to discuss next steps and name an interim executive director, though the interim executive director is not expected to get the full-time job.