Lloyd Howell Jr.’s has stepped down as executive director of the NFLPA following weeks of controversy that saw him lose confidence in the union he was tasked to represent. Hired in June of 2023, Howell released a statement Thursday night information he would resign his position as leader of the play’s union.
“It’s clear that my leadership has become a distraction to the important work the NFLPA advances each day,” Howell said in part as he announced he was “stepping down” from his role.
Howell was tabbed as Demaurice Smith’s replacement two years ago. Now, the union will begin an immediate search to find his replacement just as teams begin reporting to training camp.
Howell and the union has had a turbulent past several months. Heads of the players union, Howell included, are alleged to have kept quiet over a report finding owner and league encouragement to tamp down the amount of guaranteed money players, especially quarterbacks, were receiving.
Last month, reporting by Pablo Torre uncovered a judge found credible evidence that commissioner Roger Goodell and league executives persuaded owners to stifle guaranteed money contracts. Those meetings came on the heels of Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson receiving a fully guaranteed $230 million deal.
A confidentiality agreement between the NFL and NFLPA leaders prevented the ruling from being handed out to the 32 player reps, keeping them in the dark over the judge’s findings. Per the ESPN article, Steelers rep Cameron Heyward declined official comment, referring to the situation as “dicey.” Heyward is also one of the union’s vice presidents. Even if there was no official collusion found in the report, collusion was struck to keep the report under wraps until uncovered by Torre’s reporting.
This week, a new report surfaced Howell faced a 2011 lawsuit for sexual discrimination and retaliation.
Per ESPN, the lawsuit was shared with the union prior to Howell’s election in 2023, replacing the outgoing DeMaurice Smith. However, other players said they were not made aware of the suit prior to then.
“To find this out after we elected Lloyd is concerning; it feels like it was quashed,” one unnamed player rep told ESPN.
Margo Fitzpatrick, a partner at consulting firm Booz Allen, sued Howell in 2011.
“Fitzpatrick alleged that Howell, who became her team leader in 2009, told her that the finance industry was ‘a good ole boys club in which only men could succeed’ and excluded her from client meetings,” per ESPN’s article. “Fitzpatrick also alleged that Howell questioned whether two other female colleagues had been in sororities in college because they caused ‘drama.’ She reported Howell’s alleged conduct to senior leadership and was later denied a promotion and terminated, the lawsuit states.”
The lawsuit was settled in 2015.
Howell has also faced questions for his part-time work at an equity firm that is possibly pursuing purchase of an NFL franchise. That would create a potential conflict of interest for Howell as the leader of the players union.
Earlier this week, the NFLPA stood by Howell and denied a report that it asked him to step down as director. As of this writing, it’s not clear if Howell’s move came on his own accord or direct pressure from the union to step aside.
The controversy and news of Howell’s resignation comes during a critical time for the players union. The NFL has repeatedly floated an 18-game season and will likely attempt to implement it before the CBA expires in 2030. That would send the league and union to the negotiating table to reach an agreement on what an 18-game season would look like and what the NFL is willing to concede to get it. Multiple bye weeks is one likely outcome, though the union is expected to ask for more than that. Right now, the union’s main focus is on finding a new leader.
Recommended for you