The NFL Players Association is a labor organization. The key positions are inherently political. And a toxic slice of modern American political life has trickled into the union’s handling of the current cocktail of controversies that NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell is facing.
Attack. Attack. And attack.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the NFLPA executive committee to its membership (and leaked to Adam Schefter of ESPN, among others), the wagons were circled around Howell — and arrows were fired at the “fake news” from meddling outsiders.
“As members of the NFLPA Executive Committee, we categorically reject false reports insinuating doubts within this committee or suggestions that we have asked our Executive Director to step down.” the message asserts. “We further reject attempts to mischaracterize the committee’s views or divide our membership. We have established a deliberate process to carefully assess the issues that have been raised and will not engage in a rush to judgement. We believe in and remain committed to working with our Executive Director and other members of NFLPA staff and player leadership who have a shared mission to advance the best interests of players. As we approach the 2025 season, we look forward to continuing our important work together and ensuring the strength and unity of our association.”
So where are the false reports of which they speak? For nearly three weeks, we’ve been covering every angle of this weakly-covered story. We’ve seen not a single report that insinuates a single doubt in the executive committee or suggests that the executive committee asked Howell to step down.
Likewise, we’ve seen nothing that would amount to an “attempt to mischaracterize the committee’s views.”
The only thing that would even support a conclusion of doubt within the union came from a one-word quote provided by executive committee member Cam Heyward to ESPN. Heyward declined to speak to ESPN because the current situation with the union was, as he said, “dicey.”
That’s not a “false report,” unless Heyward claims he didn’t say what he reportedly said.
That said, we’ll admit that some of what has been written here in recent days could divide membership, if membership: (1) reads it; and (2) chooses to care about it.
Frankly, we believe membership needs to be divided, if there are members of membership who believe it’s fine and/or dandy that Howell hid the collusion ruling from all players, that he didn’t use it against the NFL, that an entire free-agency cycle passed without agents being able to use the ruling as leverage in negotiations with teams, and/or that it’s acceptable for Howelll to have an undeniably cartoonish conflict of interest, via unnecessary part-time moonlighting with a private-equity firm that is currently rolling on the mattress with the NFLPA’s mortal enemy.
The league has used player apathy against it, for years. Union management has been doing it for at least two years, starting with the top-secret hiring of Howell. When called on it, the response is as predictable as it is sad.
Attack. Attack. And attack.
If the rank-and-file fall for it, it’ll work. Which will be good for current management. But not so good for the current or future members of the union.
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