Trade talks and locker room leadership just got a jolt. On Thursday night, in a twist nobody saw coming, Lloyd Howell stepped down as Executive Director of the NFL Players Association. And just like that, the union’s top seat is now wide open. With the 2025 NFL season creeping closer, the timing couldn’t have been more disruptive. Howell didn’t wait till training camp or preseason headlines to break the news—he made his exit immediate, hoping to avoid being a distraction. But in reality? It’s turned heads all across locker rooms, especially for those like Steelers captain Cameron Heyward, who’ve got skin in the union game.

Cameron Heyward’s story goes beyond tackles and sacks. Drafted in 2011 by the Steelers, the Ohio State star has proudly worn just one jersey his entire career-and earned six Pro Bowl nods along the way. But what really makes him stand out is how he leads off the field, too. Back in 2014, he stepped into a leadership role with the NFLPA, earning more respect over time and eventually being voted to the Executive Committee in 2024. And while he’s a powerhouse on Sundays, he’s just as committed to making life better for kids in Pittsburgh. In 2015, he launched the Heyward House Foundation to give back to the city he calls home, showing that his heart hits just as hard as his game. But now, as Lloyd Howell decided to hang up his cleats, there’s chaos in Heyward and his team’s office.

But what exactly did Lloyd Howell say before walking away from the job? “It’s clear that my leadership has become a distraction to the important work the NFLPA advances every day,” he admitted in a written statement released by the union. “For this reason, I have informed the NFLPA Executive Committee that I am stepping down as Executive Director of the NFLPA and Chairman of the Board of NFL Players effective immediately. I hope this will allow the NFLPA to maintain its focus on its player members ahead of the upcoming season.”

So, this wasn’t a forced decision. In fact, Lloyd Howell’s move caught some members of the NFLPA’s 10-person executive committee completely off guard. After all, this was the guy chosen after a 16-month hush-hush search. But pressure had been building following reports from ESPN and the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast, placing Howell right in the media crosshairs.

Meanwhile, the NFLPA isn’t wasting time. In a statement shared by Adam Schefter, the union confirmed: “The NFLPA Executive Committee is in touch with its membership, and the board is expected to meet as soon as possible to figure out the next steps that could include an interim executive director.” Still, their message was clear: player health, safety, money, and long-term futures stay front and center. But for veterans like Steelers captain Cameron Heyward, the ground just shifted big time.

Finally, with Heyward—a six-time Pro Bowler—being voted into the NFLPA Executive Committee earlier this year, all eyes now shift to him and others in leadership, after Lloyd Howell’s exit. Will an interim step in? Probably. A permanent name? Not yet. But for now, everything’s changed.

Layers of trouble led to Cameron Heyward’s group member Lloyd Howell’s exit?

This mess didn’t pop up overnight. Back in May, ESPN reported that the FBI had started digging into the financial moves of both the NFLPA and MLBPA. Moves tied to OneTeam Partners, a multibillion-dollar licensing company. That time, the union quietly hired Ronald C. Machen to audit Howell’s leadership. But it wasn’t just that. Lloyd Howell hadn’t fully cut ties with the Carlyle Group either—a firm already approved by the NFL for equity work. That overlap raised eyebrows. One union lawyer, according to reports, even pushed Howell to step down because of conflict-of-interest issues. But he reportedly told them “he’d do his due diligence before making a decision.”

Then came the storm. Lloyd Howell had reportedly signed a confidentiality agreement with the league that kept players from seeing a key arbitration decision from January. One that highlighted how NFL execs tried to pressure owners into scaling back on guaranteed money. Players only found out about the 61-page ruling through Pablo Torre’s podcast. And just when it seemed things couldn’t get worse, Howell’s past surfaced. A 2011 lawsuit accusing him of s—-l discrimination and retaliation. Something several players reportedly didn’t know when they voted him in.

Still, some stood by him. “We felt great about the process,” as per ESPN. “We are 100 percent behind Lloyd.” The committee even reminded members they’d “established a deliberate process to carefully assess the issues.” Now, with Lloyd Howell gone, the board is scrambling. Sources told Adam Schefter they’re already working with player reps to decide next steps. The hunt for an interim director is on.