After JC Tretter‘s sudden departure, Mike Florio made it absolutely clear. NFLPA needs an outside hire. They need someone who never backed Lloyd Howell. Someone who didn’t have anything to do with him. Potential candidates were Don Davis, Zamir Cobb, and Ned Ehrlich. But seems like NFPLPA listened to Florio. They’ve finally named an interim director, and he fits Mike Florio’s criteria like a glove.

On Saturday, NFLPA President Jalen Reeves-Maybin announced that David White is stepping in as the union’s interim executive director, following Lloyd Howell’s controversial exit. Reeves-Maybin called it the result of a “comprehensive, player-led process.” He even wrote a statement about the new member on Sunday, stating the reason why the committee chose White.

Reeves-Maybin said, “David has spent much of his career fighting for collectively bargained rights in the labor movement and is committed to putting players first in all the union does.” No doubt, it marks a clear shift back to player-first leadership, something vets like Cam Heyward have been pushing for loud and clear. This move feels like the players taking their union back.

He is an interim director, yes. But he isn’t just some fill-in. He’s stepping into a role that needs major rebuilding, and he has the resume for it. Before this, David White ran the show at SAG-AFTRA, leading over 45,000 members through big-time contract battles, revamping health benefits, and locking in better pensions. Now, he’s bringing that same energy and experience to the NFLPA, right when the players need it the most.

And that’s a huge contrast to his predecessor, Lloyd Howell. Howell came in from the corporate consulting world, not the player side, and it showed. He caught heat for his ties to The Carlyle Group, a private equity firm with NFL franchise interests. And that, obviously, all kinds of red flags about conflicts of interest. Bottom line? Players wanted someone who worked for them, not the business side. David White looks like that guy.

The funny part? Back in 2023, the NFLPA executive committee actually backed David White over Howell by a 10–1 margin. They clearly wanted someone with union chops, not just business credentials. But somehow, Howell still got the nod. And when the controversy hit, so did the regret. Now that White’s finally getting the chance, it feels like the union might actually be back in the hands of the players.

But it’s not just White’s deep union background that matters. The guy is a genuine unifier. He’s got a track record of bringing people together and making things work. He’s even chaired major boards like the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and public pension funds. That’s some serious governance cred, and it’s exactly the kind of leadership the NFLPA’s been missing.

But the most important thing is how he looks after the players. That’s what the NFLPA is about. Former directors seemed not to care about that. It is about the players, and it has always been about them. And when you listen to White’s words? He seems to understand that.

David White makes a bold promise to Cam Heyward

What Lloyd Howell and even JC Tretter couldn’t pull off, David White has to. He’s got one job now: rebuild player trust from the ground up. No politics, no backroom deals. Just showing the players he’s there for them. And he promises to do just that. “I’m committed to re‑establishing trust…protecting player health and safety, securing their financial well‑being, and further strengthening their voice to shape their futures,” he said in an official statement. Players’ representative Cam Heyward would love that.

And when you take history into account, you’d understand why this matters. Under Howell, the NFLPA reportedly signed a confidentiality deal with the league that hid a pivotal ruling: one that confirmed NFL execs were trying to cut back on guaranteed money in player contracts. Well, this is exactly why White’s here. You all know about this. But this is just one of the many incidents the players have had to face.

Players have been feeling shut out for a while now. Whether it comes to big-ticket stuff like playoff revenue, healthcare funding, or even licensing deals. NFLPA has not been about the players recently. The opposite, actually. David White’s making it clear: he’s not about smoke and mirrors. He’s promising real transparency, open town halls, and regular check-ins.

Steelers‘ Cam Heyward’s not just sitting back, either. He is pushing for real changes. He wants full transparency on arbitration outcomes, a bigger voice for player reps when it comes to licensing deals, and actual clarity on how revenue sharing’s going to work. Heyward’s basically saying: no more backroom decisions. If it affects the players, the players should be in the room. Period!