NFL players are starting to respond to the recent controversies around the NFLPA, including the resignations of Exec Dir Lloyd Howell Jr. and Chief Strategy Officer JC Tretter, with Eagles OT and player rep Jordan Mailata admitting the current situation is a “mess” for the union, according to Gabriela Carroll of the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER. Mailata said, “But we have the right people in place right now ... to keep the main focus all about the players.” Eagles RT Lane Johnson said, “It’s a s--show, I guess. It’s been that way. People have known that. I’ve known. Hopefully, it gets better.” Johnson: “Right now, I think we have the weakest union in sports” (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 7/23). Browns G and alternate player rep Joel Bitonio said, “We’re definitely in a vulnerable position right now as NFLPA, and it feels like there’s some internal breakage inside the NFLPA that is causing some rift, so it’s something we definitely need to get figured out and try and put a stop to it and catch our breaths and get back to it.” In Cleveland, Ashley Bastock wrote Bitonio had been “on some recent calls regarding these scandals” and “where the organization is going from here” (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 7/24). Bears TE and union rep Cole Kmet: “It is really unfortunate. Hopefully we can respond and put good leadership in place” (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 7/23).
FULL FACTORY RESET: THE RINGER’s Lindsay Jones writes the union is “clearly in a state of flux,” and “these departures -- as bad as they look on the outside -- offer the NFLPA a chance for a major reset.” The NFLPA now “has a chance for a redo and to find the right executive director -- something it’ll need in an upcoming labor battle against the NFL.” Jones: “Howell was seemingly picked for his business acumen and demeanor; in terms of personality, he was more mild-mannered than his predecessor, [DeMaurice] Smith, a lawyer who was often up for a public fight.” However, players now “might have an example of the type of leader they don’t want -- and that’s one who downplays his own conflicts of interest and is willing to cozy up" to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and league execs. Meanwhile, players “must become more involved in the entire process of selecting the executive director and dictating policy once that person is selected.” The N.Y. Times reported that only 48 of the 128 player reps voted in the election that led to Howell’s appointment in 2023. That number was “surprisingly low,” considering these are the players who volunteered to represent their teams, and it “speaks to the major challenge the union faces in fighting widespread player apathy on labor issues” (THE RINGER, 7/23).
DOMINO EFFECT: In S.F., Scott Ostler wrote the damage Howell and Tretter “appear to have inflicted on the union and its members will take a while to assess.” Players have “basically given themselves a playbook, rules on how not to hire the people charged with fighting for their rights, and how to keep an eye on the folks they do hire.” Ostler: “This scandal is a blow to the pride and pocketbook of the players, who for two years were led into battle against ownership by leaders of dubious loyalty. But better to wake up late than never. The players and their leaders aren’t likely to be fooled again by big talk and strip-club swagger. They will pay attention to vetting, and will demand transparency. No more blind trust” (S.F. CHRONICLE, 7/23).
RIGHT MAN FOR THE JOB? NBCSPORTS.com’s Mike Florio noted Packers CEO Mark Murphy leaves his post tomorrow and the NFLPA on Monday “should welcome him as the union’s new executive director.” The union “absolutely should want him.” If players “became enamored with the notion that Howell knew labor relations from this management side, Murphy knows this specific labor relationship from the inside of the management side.” Florio: “He knows how the sausage is made. He has helped make it” (NBCSPORTS.com, 7/23).
