NFLPA counsel placed on paid leave

The NFLPA faces internal turmoil as its in-house counsel is placed on paid leave amid employee complaints and ongoing investigations.

NFLPA actions highlight governance strain amid internal complaints

The NFL Players Association has placed in-house counsel Heather McPhee on paid administrative leave after multiple employees filed complaints with the union to its HR department, according to ESPN. The complaints allege that she did not follow supervisory direction, bullied colleagues, and disrupted the union’s work environment. The NFLPA says it will rely on evidence to show the move is legitimate and not a pretext for retaliation.

McPhee was reportedly involved in the investigation into financial dealings by NFLPA officials with OneTeam Partners. Some observers say she raised internal alarms about irregularities. She has hired a lawyer to pursue a possible whistleblower claim against the union, the same attorney who handled a prior whistleblower case against Lloyd Howell’s former employer Booz Allen Hamilton, which resulted in a $377 million settlement. In a May 30 memo, she told the executive committee that federal investigators had contacted her about OneTeam Partners and the NFLPA and that she was ordered to stop working on the probe, “with the threat of employment discipline.” She urged the committee to meet on the matter. One of the complaints was filed by Matt Curtin, head of NFL Players, Inc. and a member of the OneTeam board, who was a candidate for interim executive director before JC Tretter’s resignation. If McPhee pursues a lawsuit, the case could reveal information previously not public, creating political and governance headaches for the NFLPA. Still, the union may argue the move prevents disruption amid a period of chaos while any litigation unfolds.

This episode shows how governance tensions inside a major players union can spill into public view and risk credibility with players, sponsors, and the broader sports community. The decision to place a top internal counsel on leave may be a defensive move to protect the organization, but it also risks eroding trust if employees and members view it as retaliation or a bid to suppress internal concerns. The case sits against a backdrop of federal scrutiny around OneTeam Partners, raising questions about financial oversight and whistleblower protections within the NFLPA.

Highlights

The path forward will test how openly the NFLPA confronts governance issues and protects whistleblowers.