Lloyd Howell is safe, for now

Slow time in the NFL? No such thing.

The phone has been blowing up, and the reports have been plentiful in the hours since Thursday morning’s report that NFL Players Association executive director Lloyd Howell moonlights with a private-equity fund that has a spot on the short list of approved stakeholders in NFL franchises.

Under no reasonable set of circumstances should Howell be allowed to do both. Some in player leadership apparently acknowledged that fairly quickly, and an effort was undertaken to bring the issue to a head. Up to and including a potential removal of Howell, with an interim executive director replacing him.

That storm, however strong it ever became, has been weathered. At least for now. As one source with knowledge of the dynamics of the NFLPA tells PFT, the prospect of removal will entail a longer process. Even then, it may not happen.

Friday morning’s article in TheAthletic.com represents an obvious effort by pro-Howell forces to put out the fire. But a flame remains, hiding in plain sight.

Howell’s sole professional focus should be advocating for players. He needs no other job. He should have no other job that creates a real or potential conflict of interest with his duty to the players.

It’s possible that current management used suspicions of outside meddling to circle the wagons around Howell and chief strategy officer J.C. Tretter. It’s possible that the players see no viable interim executive director.

Regardless, a day after it seemed as if things could happen quickly, things have slowed down. And it remains to be seen whether anything happens, due to the conflict of interest and/or the concealment of the collusion ruling and/or the pending OneTeam Partners investigation.