Lloyd Howell

Roger Goodell Aiming For 18-Game Schedule, 16 International Games

January 17th, 2025 at 10:52pm CST by Ely Allen

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell recently sat down to do an interview on Bloomberg TV for The David Rubenstein Show: Peer-to-Peer Conversations. In the interview, Goodell touched on a number of recent topics including the league’s goals for an 18-game season and a 16-game slate of international games in a season.

Goodell approached the answer to a question about the 18-game season by claiming that “if (they) continue to focus on the safety” aspect of the game that 18 games could be the potential result. It’s a contradictory notion that Goodell attempts to justify with the suggestion of removing another preseason game to maintain “that 20-game framework.”

The idea that replacing a preseason game with a regular game is a simple solution disregards many issues that come along with it. In regard to safety, increased games results in increased stress to the body and a higher likelihood for injury. Especially when considering that preseason games hardly see extended time from main starting players, replacing preseason games for regular-season games is not a one-for-one return in regard to safety.

Additionally, coaches and player personnel staff utilize preseason games to help whittle the roster down to the eventual 53 players who will open the season on the team. Continuing to reduce the number of preseason games robs a large number of fringe players of playing opportunities to show that they deserve a roster spot, potentially diminishing the quality of play in the league by denying diamonds in the rough a chance to shine.

The only seeming benefit that would result from the extension of the season is that every player would receive an extra game check, increasing the value of their contracts. In reality, the benefit goes to team owners and the league, who will all see a revenue increase from replacing poor-performing preseason games with higher-stakes regular-season contests. With no risk to their own health and safety, the support of an 18-game season has been a no-brainer for the elite in league circles.

NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell, after going over superficial discussions with the NFL about the possibility of an 18-game season, spoke this past summer about concessions the players could seek in return for adding an 18th game. While overall compensation is the obvious one, other points of negotiation would include additional bye weeks, improved playing surfaces, and decreased travel, a contentious issue with the NFL’s insistence on expanding the game internationally. Not surprisingly, these are all health concerns for issues that could be further strained by an extension to the season.

While Goodell claims they would only move forward “with the players” on this decision, he calls it the “logical” next step. The situation feels like an inevitable transition from which the players will simply need to try to get whatever concessions they can.

On the topic of the international slate, Goodell confirmed recently mentioned plans to expand to 16 out-of-country games in a season. He has quickly pushed the slate from five such contests in 2024 to a confirmed eight in 2025. Increasing the number of games in a regular season to 18 would, in theory, make it easier to schedule 16 international games, but if the NFLPA decides to push back on the amount of travel in return for increasing the season, the league’s two goals could be working against each other.

Goodell did push back a bit on the possibility of expanding the league or relocating a team to an international site, though. While he does believe there are markets internationally that could sustain an NFL franchise, he cited issues with travel and competitiveness as hurdles in the execution. The notion a European franchise could spawn — or an American team could relocate — has not generated as much buzz over the past several years. Goodell’s latest remarks continue that trend.

He did project an idea that moving a division would make more sense than moving a single team. This solution would see three road games each year come with relatively short travel for those international teams, assuming they’re all in a close area like Europe. The remaining five or six road games would still require extensive travel, as would the travel for any teams visiting them. This would especially be an issue for any team whose schedule includes all four teams from the international division, requiring either two separate trips or one, long overseas trip to play those games.

The terms of the active collective bargaining agreement for the players are currently in place until 2030. Given the league’s quick work on the international slate, the owners’ eagerness to once again expand the NFL schedule, and Howell’s willingness to engage in early dialogue, it feels like a push for change is coming much sooner than that. Money talks, and if the NFL can alleviate the players’ concerns with promises of concessions, we may be watching a new-look season very soon.

NFLPA Director Lloyd Howell Addresses Potential Expansion To 18-Game Schedule

July 11th, 2024 at 2:47pm CST by Adam La Rose

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has publicly spoken on the subject of expanding the NFL’s regular season in recent months, bringing discussion of an 18-game schedule to the forefront. NFLPA director Lloyd Howell has been on the job for one year now, and he is open to discussing the matter well before the current CBA expires.

As things stand, an 18-game schedule could be implemented no earlier than the 2031 season. Significant support exists amongst the league’s owners to arrange for one preseason contest to be replaced by a regular season one well before that point, however. Knowing concessions will need to be made to the player’s union for such a move to be possible, Howell is open to negotiations taking place now to avoid any work stoppages.

“I’m glad Roger said 18. I’m glad that he’s leaning into international [games],” Howell said, via The Athletic’s Mike Jones (subscription required). “I think it gives our guys the opportunity to kind of get their thoughts together, get our position together, to say, ‘This is what and how we’re thinking about it.’

“It makes no economic sense for anyone to have a strike or a lockout. The world’s most popular sports league is going well. How do we keep that going? A lockout is an irrational thing. What’s more rational is, ‘Hey, if I could grow this two times, if I could grow this three times, then we should figure out what the agreements would need to be.’”

A number of issues will need to be addressed for traction to be gained on negotiations between owners and the NFLPA regarding an 18-game arrangement. Howell noted the handling of bye weeks – to little surprise, given the widespread expectation expansion could be accompanied by a second bye week – is one element where concessions could be required. Others include playing surfaces, travel related to international games and general player compensation.

In 2021, the NFL’s preseason schedule was reduced from four games to three in exchange for the regular season adding a 17th contest. That setup will remain in place for at least a fourth year, but if Howell and the player’s union are open to discussing further changes well in advance of the CBA’s expiration, an 18-game arrangement could be hammered out before the end of the decade.

Latest On Lloyd Howell, NFLPA’s Executive Director Search

June 30th, 2023 at 12:26pm CST by Adam La Rose

The NFLPA unveiled their new executive director on Wednesday, introducing Lloyd Howell as the leader tasked with overseeing the union moving forward. Details regarding his selection and expected start date have emerged.

Howell, 57, was not mentioned as one of the known candidates in the union’s search process for its DeMaurice Smith successor. Secrecy surrounded the build-up to Howell’s selection, and the identities of the other finalists voted on remains unknown. Of note, though, is the fact that ex-players Matt Schaub, Domonique Foxworth and Kellen Winslow Sr. were mentioned as names to watch, but the top position was once again given to someone with no playing experience.

“You don’t need to be a former player to be able to motivate and galvanize a group of people,” president J.C. Tretter said, via The Athletic’s Zak Keefer (subscription required). “We were really looking for anybody that was capable of doing that, and we found a great one.”

Tretter added that the search process – which began in October – involved casting a “wide net,” and ultimately landed on Howell. The latter has no background in pro sports, and he has yet to meet with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, though that is expected to soon change. Howell declined to go in to specifics on his opinion regarding the current CBA, but he indicated his views with respect to the 2020 negotiations and the ones which will take place after the 2030 campaign helped earn him the position.

Veteran reporter Daniel Kaplan tweets that Howell’s start date is expected to be July 10, which will mark a quick transition from Smith to the new director. After the former won his most recent re-election with the minimum votes, it was expected his final term would be much shorter than his previous ones, which will be the case if Howell is in place by next month. The success he makes in integrating into the union and establishing new relations with the NFL will be a key factor when CBA talks take place and in the time leading up to that point.

Lloyd Howell Named NFLPA Executive Director

June 28th, 2023 at 11:16am CST by Sam Robinson

The foggy search for DeMaurice Smith‘s successor as NFLPA executive director is over. The union has a new leader. Lloyd Howell will succeed Smith, the NFLPA announced Wednesday (Twitter link).

Howell recently retired from his position as CFO with the Booz Allen Hamilton consulting firm. He spent 34 years with the company. Howell left his post in October of last year, with that move coming just as the NFLPA began its search to succeed Smith. The appointment came after a vote from the NFLPA’s board of player representatives, though Howell’s name had not been circulated during this months-long process.

Howell will step in as the fourth executive director of the NFLPA. Smith served in this capacity since 2009, while Hall of Fame guard Gene Upshaw held it from 1983-2008. Ed Garvey was in place in this role from 1971-83. While Upshaw starred for the Raiders, the NFLPA brought in Smith from outside the league to lead their efforts. The union will follow suit with Howell, a Penn alum who holds an MBA from Harvard. Howell certainly hovered off the NFL radar, but Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes Booz Allen has worked in NFL consulting matters in the past (Twitter link).

A number of players have expressed support for the Howell hire since the announcement, but Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith notes players were “in the dark” during this search. But Howell will be the choice to lead the way alongside NFLPA president J.C. Tretter. Smith’s term runs through 2024, though CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones notes (on Twitter) Howell could begin his leadership stay this year.

“It was important for us to run a process that lived up to the prestige of the position we sought to fill,” Tretter said in a statement. “The process was 100% player led and focused on leadership competency, skills and experience. Our union deserves strong leadership and a smooth transition, and we are confident Lloyd will make impactful advances on behalf of our membership.”

Richard Sherman, Calais Campbell, Alex Mack, Austin Ekeler, Ryan Kelly, Jason McCourty, Brandon McManus, Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Michael Thomas and Thomas Morstead joined Tretter in comprising the search committee. Smith faced off against the NFL owners during two collective bargaining agreement negotiations, producing deals in 2011 and 2020. The 2020 agreement runs through the 2030 season, meaning Wednesday’s appointment will not lead to near-future Howell-led negotiations.

While CBA talks will not be in the cards for a while, Howell will be in place to lead all other union-related matters. Howell also serves on the board at Moody’s Corporation and General Electric Healthcare. After a top-secret search led to Howell taking over, it will be interesting to see when his term begins and what changes come about in the weeks and months immediately after that transition commences.