The NFL Players Association’s Executive Committee issued a memo to its full membership on 13 July affirming “categorical” support for executive director Lloyd Howell and rejecting reports that members had asked him to step down. The committee said it had established a process to review questions raised and would “not engage in a rush to judgment” as the union prepares for the 2025 season. Howell, who became executive director in June 2023, has faced scrutiny since ESPN reported that he is a paid, part-time consultant to The Carlyle Group, one of the few private-equity firms the NFL has approved to buy minority stakes in franchises. Critics say the dual roles create a conflict because the union often negotiates against club owners who could benefit from Carlyle’s investments. According to the report, a union lawyer urged Howell last year to leave the consulting post, but Howell declined; other sources dispute that such a request was made. The controversy follows revelations that the NFLPA kept confidential a January 2025 arbitration ruling that found the league had encouraged teams to limit guarantees in veteran contracts, even though the arbitrator ultimately ruled against the union’s collusion grievance. In June, the NFLPA hired outside counsel to examine Howell’s actions surrounding both the grievance and his relationship with Carlyle. The committee’s latest statement signals that, for now, player leadership is standing behind Howell while those reviews continue.