We still don’t know the final candidates in the NFLPA’s remarkably low-profile search for a new executive director, but union leaders expect to have a new one chosen by June 29 -- one week from today.
NFLPA staffers have been asked to attend a meet-and-greet with a new executive director next Thursday, sources said, with senior staff specifically asked to be in person at HQ in D.C. NFLPA President JC Tretter and other reps did not reply to messages seeking comment.
This meet-and-greet matches up with my previously reported “late June” meeting of the 32 player reps to select a successor to the outgoing DeMaurice Smith. The player reps are scheduled to meet on Tuesday and Wednesday, sources said this week.
The search so far has been notable for the union’s and search firm Russell Reynolds Associates’ remarkable success in preventing leaks of candidate names. While a number of candidates have reportedly been ruled out, reliable reports of those still under consideration have been almost non-existent. Two sources say there is one heavy favorite at this point.
According to the NFLPA’s constitution, the selection committee must submit two to four finalist names to player reps at least "no later than thirty (30) days prior to the start” of the ultimate selection meeting. If that’s happened, we know that a few dozen people have kept a secret tightly for nearly a month.
Smith was given one final term after a close players’ vote in 2021, and the duration of his final term is flexible. But players want to install a replacement before this season if possible. The collective bargaining agreement isn’t up until March 2030.
