Following a week marked by increased scrutiny and two high-profile resignations from the NFL Players Association leadership, union president Jalen Reeves-Maybin issued a statement reaffirming the organization’s commitment to its members and clarifying its next steps.
“The players who make up the NFLPA are bound not only by our shared experiences on and off the field, but by our shared commitment to the success and well-being of our members,” the statement said. “While our union has been tested of late, we remain committed to the values of integrity, accountability, and progress in serving the best interests of our membership.”
Statement from NFLPA President Jalen Reeves-Maybin. pic.twitter.com/eUzkMCswZt
— NFLPA (@NFLPA) July 22, 2025
On Thursday, Lloyd Howell Jr. resigned from his role as executive director of the NFLPA amid criticism over his leadership, as uncovered in reports by ESPN, Pro Football Talk and “Pablo Torre Finds Out.” Findings included the NFLPA reaching a confidentiality agreement with the NFL to hide information about an arbitration decision involving potential collusion around guaranteed contracts, concerns about a potential conflict of interest involving Howell’s consulting work for a private equity group approved by the league to pursue minority ownership stakes, and Howell’s use of union money to fund two trips to strip clubs, for which he was reprimanded. Howell served as executive director for two years.
“The NFLPA Executive Committee and Board of Player Representatives are in the process of selecting an interim executive director,” said Reeves-Maybin in the statement. “In recent days, the Board passed a resolution in accordance with the NFLPA Constitution to allow for the eventual vote of such an interim leader and agreed to processes and terms to select a candidate. We are conducting ongoing due diligence and will hold a vote in the near future as soon as that process is complete.”
Three days after Howell’s resignation, former NFLPA chief strategy officer JC Tretter also resigned from the organization. At the time, Tretter was considered one of two favorites to take over as interim executive director. The other was Don Davis, who several league sources have shared has had a strong push from players.
Like Howell, Tretter faced scrutiny over his actions while with the NFLPA, including comments he made in 2023, when he was still union president, in which he suggested that players could fake injuries as a contract-negotiation tactic. The comments resurfaced in the wake of another arbitration ruling that came to light this month. In the ruling, arbitrator Sidney Moreland determined Tretter’s comments violated the collective bargaining agreement.
Reeves-Maybin was voted onto the NFLPA executive committee in 2022 and elected as president in 2024. A former NFL linebacker, he spent his first five seasons with the Detroit Lions, spent a year with the Houston Texans and returns to the Lions for his final two seasons from 2023-24.
Reeves-Maybin concluded his statement by saying: “In the meantime, I am in close contact with the NFLPA Executive Leadership Team to ensure good governance practices and continued union business until an interim executive director is elected.”
(Photo of Jalen Reeves-Maybin ahead of Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans in February: (Kirby Lee / Imagn Images)
