The race to be the next executive director of the NFL Players Association is down to two men, according to The Athetic’s Dianna Russini. Either NFLPA chief strategy officer JC Tretter or chief player officer Don Davis are expected to lead the union following a tumultuous week that saw Lloyd Howell abruptly resign.
Representatives from all 32 NFL teams were on a call Friday night to discuss the union’s leadership future. Tretter is reportedly seen as the leader ahead of Davis in terms of support from the players. It’s unknown if there is a timetable for naming an interim executive director, but whoever gets the job is not expected to end up in the role full time.
While Tretter seemingly has the support, Russini also reported on Saturday that a group of players are discussing potential legal action against the NFLPA and Tretter, “citing potential violations around inclusion, labor rights, and misuse of union dues.”
Howell, who led the NFLPA since 2023, resigned Thursday night after an outside investigator reportedly discovered Howell charged the union for multiple strip club visits, according to ESPN.
Howell allegedly charged the union $738.82 on one receipt and another $2,426 during a separate strip club visit.
ESPN’s report marked the fourth time this offseason Howell’s actions as NFLPA executive director came under scrutiny. Journalists Mike Florio and Pablo Torre previously unearthed two grievance rulings the NFL and NFLPA worked to keep secret. One of those rulings found evidence of collusion among teams, a potentially explosive revelation that Howell allegedly not only worked to keep out of the public, but also may have tried to keep from players.