E-Paper
Lloyd Howell steps down as NFLPA director: Here's why he resigned. All on the lawsuit troubling NFL
Lloyd Howell has resigned from his role as executive director of the NFLPA amid controversy from a podcast revealing NFL owners' alleged collusion.
Lloyd Howell is stepping down from his role as executive director of the NFL Players Association, effective immediately.
“Our members deserve a union that will fight relentlessly for their health, safety, financial futures, and long-term well-being,” Howell acknowledged in a statement on Thursday night.
“My priority has been to lead that fight by serving this union with focus and dedication. It’s clear that my leadership has become a distraction to the important work the NFLPA advances every day.”
“For this reason, I have informed the NFLPA Executive Committee that I am stepping down as Executive Director of the NFLPA and Chairman of the Board of NFL Players effective immediately. I hope this will allow the NFLPA to maintain its focus on its player members ahead of the upcoming season.”
Howell’s abrupt exit comes as a result of the backlash that came after the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast that highlighted a 61-page arbitration report, which had been circulating quietly earlier this year.
Back in January, former federal judge Christopher Droney dismissed a grievance filed by the NFLPA. The union had accused NFL owners of colluding to limit fully guaranteed contracts for players. Droney ultimately found no conclusive evidence of collusion, but his report dropped a bombshell: during the March 2022 annual meeting, the NFL “encouraged owners to reduce guarantees in future contracts with players.”
