Longtime union officials emphasize that previous union leaders did not have outside employment or board memberships, raising concerns about Howell's outside interests.

NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell Jr. has been working part-time as a consultant for The Carlyle Group, a private equity firm approved to invest in NFL minority franchise stakes, raising potential conflict of interest concerns.

The NFLPA has hired Ronald C. Machen to review Howell's activities amid broader investigations into the union’s financial practices related to OneTeam Partners, a firm co-founded by the NFLPA and MLBPA.

Howell also serves on the boards of GE HealthCare, Moody's, and ManTech, which could further complicate potential conflicts of interest, according to industry observers.

Carlyle is actively exploring NFL franchise investments but has not yet made any, and Howell has stated he had no access to non-public information regarding Carlyle's NFL dealings.

Howell's background includes 34 years at Booz Allen Hamilton, where he served as CFO until 2022, and he has been involved in controversial issues including a whistleblower lawsuit settlement and federal investigations into the union's financial dealings.

Union insiders and former officials worry that Howell's ongoing outside work and board memberships could create conflicts, especially given the adversarial nature of labor-management relations.

Howell joined Carlyle in March 2023, three months before his appointment as NFLPA executive director, and he declined to resign despite union lawyers' advice to avoid conflicts of interest.