Lloyd Howell

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.