Report: Lloyd Howell does not intend to resign as NFLPA executive director

It’s still possible that NFL Players Association executive director Lloyd Howell will be pushed out. However, he doesn’t plan to walk away.

Citing an unnamed source with knowledge of the situation, the Washington Post reports that Howell does not intend to resign.

While he has weathered the immediate storm resulting from ESPN’s bang-bang reporting this week regarding the hidden collusion ruling and his side hustle as a paid consultant with a private-equity firm that sleeps at the foot of Big Shield’s bed, Howell still could be removed. As we recently noted, it won’t happen quickly, if it happens at all.

Much may depend on the investigation being conducted by Ronald C. Machen, an attorney from the Wilmer Hale firm. He’s reviewing Howell’s activities during his two years on the job.

Much also may depend on whether and to what extent the players take control of their union. Their apathy has been used against them, first by the league and now by union management. The detachment and disinterest set the stage for the bizarrely secretive hiring of Howell, followed by the bizarrely secretive handling of a partial victory in the collusion case regarding guaranteed money in player contracts.

And it appears that the immediate anti-Howell fire, fueled by news of his blatant conflict of interest, was extinguished in part by blaming the turmoil on outsiders, including the media.

It’s become a common strategy in post-truth and post-standards America. When faced with potential consequences for your own behavior, blame someone else.

Ideally, find a way to blame the media.