NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell Jr. has found himself at the center of controversy as of late after reports emerged suggesting that Howell was a part-time consultant for The Carlyle Group, a clear conflict of interest with his responsibilities at the NFLPA. And on Thursday, this situation reached a resolution as Howell resigned from his duties at the NFLPA.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Howell’s decision to step down on Thursday. Schefter shared a statement from Howell where he explained his decision by noting that his leadership “has become a distraction to the important work the NFLPA advances every day.”
“Two years ago, I accepted the role of Executive Director to the NFLPA because I believe deeply in the mission of this union and the power of collective action to drive positive change for the players of America’s most popular sport,” wrote Howell, via Schefter. “Our members deserve a union that will fight relentlessly for their health, safety, financial futures, and long-term well-being. 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.”
The NFLPA Executive Committee issued a statement last week on the recent report of Howell’s reported work as a consultant for The Carlyle Group, firmly backing Howell by reaffirming that there were no suggestions within the committee asking Howell to step down.
The Carlyle Group is a private equity firm that is one of the few approved for investment in NFL teams. This means that Howell was reportedly being paid by both the NFLPA and a financial firm investing in stakes of the 32 NFL franchises, who the NFLPA represents players against.
Howell’s alleged conflict of interest has been a hot topic in the sports media space as of late, particularly for Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio and Meadowlark’s Pablo Torre, who have been at the forefront in uncovering collusion between the NFL and the NFLPA that stems far further than just Howell’s situation.
Naturally, there was a ton of discourse about this news on social media from many in the sports media landscape, with most largely agreeing that based on the recent reports, this was the correct decision.
“Yeah he had to go,” wrote USA Today national columnist Dan Wolken.
“The mounting pressure, the investigations and the conflict of interest relating to his role in private equity all led to Howell’s resignation,” wrote CBS NFL insider Jonathan Jones. “I would expect a far more open process in selecting the next executive director after the unusually private way led to Howell.”
“And I saw many on here questioning why the reporting by Pablo Torre and Mike Florio mattered,” wrote investigative reporter A.J. Perez.
Adam Schefter further reported that this decision was made solely by Howell and without any pressure from the NFLPA Executive Committee to do so, which does seem to align with Howell’s statement on the matter.
Additionally, Schefter reported that it won’t be long until Howell’s interim replacement is chosen by the NFLPA Executive Committee, as the board is expected to meet “as soon as possible” to figure out its next steps without Howell.