NFLPA leadership “knew about” Exec Dir Lloyd Howell’s part-time consulting work with The Carlyle Group -- one of the few private equity firms the NFL approved to pursue minority ownership stakes in franchises -- and several sources are disputing a report that an NFLPA attorney advised Howell “to consider resigning from the firm.” Members of the NFLPA’s legal team and the independent search firm hired by the players union “vetted Howell’s affiliations to ensure there were no conflicts of interest,” according to sources. Sources also said that “when it became apparent that The Carlyle Group would have an opportunity to invest in the NFL, discussions about Howell’s position with the firm took place.” The sources said Howell “consulted with lawyers for the NFLPA and The Carlyle Group,” and “both legal teams determined Howell’s work with aerospace and defense was far enough removed from the side of the business that would work with the NFL that he wasn’t at risk of a conflict of interest” (THE ATHLETIC, 7/10).
Report: NFLPA didn’t advise Howell to leave Carlyle
