With Lloyd Howell Jr. stepping down as NFLPA executive director, Cowboys reps may soon help choose his replacement, just as training camp and key union decisions ramp up.
The first Cowboys training camp practice is now just days away, but while most players are locking in for on-field work, a few have to split their focus. Dallas’ NFLPA player rep Tyler Smith, and co-alternate Osa Odighizuwa, could soon be part of a major decision: selecting the interim executive director of the NFL Players Association.
According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, NFLPA reps from across the league were on a call Friday night to discuss next steps following the abrupt resignation of Lloyd Howell Jr. The shakeup comes at a time when the union is already navigating high-stakes issues such as media rights, season expansion, player safety, global scheduling, and eventually, a new collective bargaining agreement.
For Cowboys reps, it means juggling big-picture labor questions at the same time training camp demands peak focus. It’s a lot, and the timing couldn’t be more inconvenient.
The problem with Howell
Howell’s exit didn’t come out of nowhere. Over the last few months, he’s been the subject of multiple controversies, many involving potential conflicts of interest, and not the kind that get handled with a PR statement and a quiet suspension.
Some of the biggest red flags?
- Howell earned $3.4 million in 2024 from the Carlyle Group, a private equity firm allowed to invest in NFL franchises.
- He signed a secret confidentiality agreement with the league to hide a ruling that found NFL execs were encouraging owners to reduce guaranteed player compensation.
- He’s linked to OneTeam Partners, a player licensing entity under federal investigation.
- He has a history of questionable expense reports—including visits to strip clubs billed to the union, according to ESPN.
- There’s a 2011 sexual discrimination lawsuit that he didn’t disclose during his hiring process.
With everything already stacked against him, one would think Howell would try to leave on a cleaner note. Instead, he exits right before training camp, making an already messy situation even harder for players to manage.
Who replaces Howell and why it matters for Dallas
While Howell’s exit might be a relief to some, it’s also a huge logistical mess. The NFLPA Constitution doesn’t spell out how an interim executive director should be selected, so player reps are figuring that out on the fly.
As that process unfolds, a few names are already rising to the top. Right now, JC Tretter and Don Davis are considered the frontrunners for the interim role.
Tretter, who previously served as NFLPA president and is now the union’s chief strategy officer, reportedly has strong support from players, but there are also rumblings of potential legal action tied to his past involvement in union decisions, including concerns around labor rights and misuse of dues, according to The Athletic.
Davis, the current chief player officer, is also in the mix, though it’s unclear if either will actually take on the interim position or be considered long-term.
That includes Smith and Odighizuwa, who’ll likely need to bring the rest of the team into the loop. These aren’t just high-level legal details. Players need to understand what went wrong, who’s being considered, and how the next hire will affect their futures.
Russini also reported that a lot of players were completely out of the loop on Howell’s actions, which led to a wave of behind-the-scenes catch-up conversations outside of Friday’s official meeting.
With training camp kicking off and guys focused on roster spots, contracts, and staying healthy, this might not seem like the best time. But that’s exactly why it matters. Bad leadership affects everything from safety standards to revenue shares to how much power the union has in the next collective bargaining agreement.
This isn’t just a PR issue. The NFLPA is already navigating sensitive negotiations and looming power plays:
- A possible Roger Goodell extension through 2030.
- Rumors of expanding the season to 18 games.
- Players’ share of future media rights deals.
- The next labor agreement, with the current one expiring in 2031.
- Ongoing debate around playing surfaces (natural grass vs turf).
- And the league’s growing international ambitions, which mean more travel and tighter schedules, increased demands on players who are already looking to improve wellness standards.
The process that brought Howell in took 16 months, and a lot of players felt left out of that conversation. There’s already buzz about making this next selection process more transparent. But transparency takes time, and players don’t have much of it.
Between the scandals that led to Howell’s exit, the upcoming vote for an interim director, and what’s expected to be a long, more transparent search for a permanent replacement, players could find themselves entangled in high-stakes union business for years to come.
This tension between competition mode and union drama isn’t ideal, but it’s a reality for a league that never really stops moving.
