The race to be the next executive director of the NFL Players Association is down to two men, according toThe Athletic. Either NFLPA chief strategy officer J.C. Tretter or chief player officer Don Davis are expected to lead the union following a tumultuous week that saw Lloyd Howell abruptly resign. A decision is expected by Tuesday, when 26 of the league's 32 teams are scheduled to report to training camp,per ESPN.Representatives from all 32 NFL teams were on a call Friday night to discuss the union's leadership future. Tretter is reportedly seen as the leader ahead of Davis in terms of support from the players. Whoever gets the job is not expected to end up in the role full time. While Tretter seemingly has the support, Russini also reported on Saturday that a group of players are discussing potential legal action against the NFLPA and Tretter, "citing potential violations around inclusion, labor rights, and misuse of union dues." A source on the NFLPA call with all 32 player reps said it was clear many players haven't been keeping up with union developments which led to a flurry of questions and catch-up conversations during the meeting and today. — Dianna Russini (@DMRussini)July 19, 2025 Howell, who led the NFLPA since 2023,resigned Thursday nightafter an outside investigator reportedly discovered Howell charged the union formultiple strip club visits, according to ESPN. Howell allegedly charged the union $738.82 on one receipt and another $2,426 during a separate strip club visit. ESPN's report marked the fourth time this offseason Howell's actions as NFLPA executive director came under scrutiny. Journalists Mike Florio and Pablo Torre previously unearthedtwo grievance rulingsthe NFL and NFLPA worked to keep secret. One of those rulings foundevidence of collusionamong teams, a potentially explosive revelation that Howell allegedly not only worked to keep out of the public, but also may havetried to keep from players.
