Sign in Subscribe
Sports associations

NFL Players Association Executive Director Lloyd Howell Jr. Resigns Amid Controversies

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Lloyd Howell Jr., Executive Director of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), has stepped down from his role amidst several scandals, including reports of expensing the union for trips to strip clubs, a part-time consultancy role with The Carlyle Group, and a decision to keep NFL players in the dark over an arbitration ruling on suspected collusion between team owners. Howell cited distractions as the reason for his resignation, stating that he wants to allow the NFLPA to focus on its player members ahead of the upcoming season.

Key Takeaways:

  • Lloyd Howell Jr. has resigned as Executive Director of the NFLPA and Chairman of the Board of NFL Players, effective immediately, due to controversies surrounding his leadership.
  • Receipts from a trip taken by Howell in November 2023 showed that the NFLPA was billed for a car service and other costs by Tootsie's Cabaret in Miami, which claims to be the largest strip club in the world.
  • A second strip club bill was also reviewed by the NFLPA's lawyers, relating to a reported trip in February during the NFLPA summit, totaling $2,426 in charges, including cash withdrawals from a club ATM ranging between $200 and $525.
  • Howell reportedly earned between $3.5 million and $4 million in his role with the NFLPA.
  • Howell held a part-time consultancy role with The Carlyle Group, a private equity firm, which has been viewed as a conflict of interest.
  • The NFLPA had a confidentiality agreement with the NFL designed to stop the full report from leaking, but Howell did not give players copies of the report.
  • Arbitrator Christopher Droney ruled that there was not sufficient evidence to support claims of collusion between team owners, but found that the NFL's general counsel and commissioner Roger Goodell did encourage owners to restrict guaranteed money in player contracts.

Statistics:

  • Howell earned between $3.5 million and $4 million in his role with the NFLPA.
  • The total charges for the second strip club bill were $2,426, including cash withdrawals from a club ATM ranging between $200 and $525.
  • The NFLPA had a consultancy agreement with The Carlyle Group, which has been viewed as a conflict of interest.
  • Arbitrator Christopher Droney ruled that there was not sufficient evidence to support claims of collusion between team owners.
  • The NFL's general counsel and commissioner Roger Goodell encouraged owners to restrict guaranteed money in player contracts, according to the arbitration ruling.

Sources:

  • Reuters: "NFLPA Executive Director Lloyd Howell resigns after association with strip clubs", citing ESPN.
  • Reuters: "NFL players association head Lloyd Howell Jr. quits after reports of trips to strip clubs", citing ESPN.
  • ESPN: "NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell resigns amid controversy over strip club trips", cited by Reuters.
  • CNN: "NFL Players Association executive director Lloyd Howell resigns amid controversy", citing Reuters and ESPN.
  • NFLPA statement: Cited by CNN and Reuters.

Read more