Two-time Super Bowl champion James Deebo Harrison, who gave 15 hard years to the NFL, now wants to be the one representing the players. The Pittsburgh Steelers legend conveyed just as much on his Deebo & Joe Podcast with Joe Haden.

“I need to be the NFLPA executive director, point blank. Period,” Harrison said. “My dude, Cam Hayward, is on the executive committee. From what I understand, my name has to be put on the ballot by someone that is on the committee. He said he would do that. So, I’m hoping that he did that. I’m just assuming that if my name was on it, I would have had some type of contact.”

This isn’t the first time Deebo has talked about being a contender. Two months ago, the former linebacker first announced that he was running for the position.

“I am running for executive director of the NFLPA. My name will be in the hat,” he said back in September.

But this week, he ramped it up, suggesting something behind the scenes might not be adding up. 

“If my name doesn’t make it on the final players’ vote ballot for executive director, something’s wrong,” Harrison said on the podcast. “In the NFLPA, a lot of people working there actually want to work for the NFL.”

But behind his blunt delivery, there’s a real frustration brewing. Unlike others, Harrison insists he’s not chasing power; he’s chasing reform. He says he wants to work for the players, not the league. And right now, he believes the NFLPA has too many people doing the opposite.

He name-dropped individuals from the past.  

“Troy Vincent worked for the NFLPA and went to the NFL. He blew his cover though, when we were doing the collective bargaining agreement for 2011. Charles Woodson. Woodson actually said, we thought he was for us. I knew he wasn’t for us,” Harrison added.

Now, none of those allegations have public records or proof. But they fit Harrison’s message: the players’ union needs a total cleanup. Plus, the timing of Harrison’s push isn’t accidental. The NFLPA is trying to repair its own reputation.

NFLPA’s former executive director, Lloyd Howell Jr., stepped down in July following waves of controversy. Reports linked him to an outrageous conflict of interest with The Carlyle Group (a private equity firm approved by the league to chase minority franchise stakes). Add to that ESPN’s reporting on union-expensed strip club bills and hidden arbitration findings, and the whole thing looked like a messy case study.

But there might be another reason Harrison hasn’t heard from anyone about his candidacy yet. During the last executive director search that ended with Howell’s appointment, player representatives voted to change the process so that candidate identities would stay confidential until the actual election meeting.

In other words, even if Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward submitted his name, Harrison wouldn’t necessarily get a heads-up until the final phase.

Union president Jalen Reeves-Maybin recently told players the new search is “entirely player-driven” and will stay transparent within the membership. The NFLPA has even hired executive-search firm TurnkeyZRG to oversee the process.

In other words, Harrison might have to keep guessing for now. Meanwhile, this is what the NFLPA is looking for in their next executive director, as per their official posting. 

What does the NFLPA want in its new executive director?

The listing opens with a search pitch: “The greatest athletes on Earth seek a champion: a true leader to understand us, galvanize us, fight for us.  Are you smart enough, strategic enough; tenacious enough; inspiring enough to champion 2,500 world class athletes?” 

The position, based in Washington, D.C., comes with major responsibility. The executive director will run the union’s 120-person operation, oversee collective bargaining talks, ensure compliance with strict labor laws, and lead the next round of talks before the current CBA expires in March 2031. 

The posting’s ideal candidate checklist reads like: accountable, decisive, responsible, relentless, etc. The NFLPA says being a former player is “a plus, not a requirement,” but understanding what it’s like to walk in NFL cleats is non-negotiable. 

The new director must have the “it factor,” capable of commanding respect in locker rooms and boardrooms alike. Someone who can debate with NFL owners on Monday and chat with rookie linebackers on Wednesday.

The Association also wants someone who can handle messy negotiations under pressure while maintaining the unity. Legal experience helps, but leadership and trust matter more. 

“Above all, the Executive Director must put players first. This position is not about personal recognition,” the posting says. “It is about serving the membership with integrity and unwavering commitment.”

With an election looming and the union still rebuilding its image after Howell’s rocky exit, the job will test whoever takes it next. And if Harrison’s campaign holds, he will have plenty more to say before then.