The NFL Players Association is promising an "entirely player-driven" search for its next executive director, with union president Jalen Reeves-Maybin telling players the executive committee has begun a search process that is "committed to keeping you informed."
In a letter sent to NFLPA player membership early Friday morning, Reeves-Maybin said the committee has hired TurnkeyZRG to manage the search.
"The executive committee will oversee the search process while receiving input and direction from the board of player representatives as we seek out a candidate who upholds our values, fights for our membership, and positions us strongly for future negotiations," Reeves-Maybin wrote. "Like any major organization, our search won't be public, but it will be transparent with you -- our members. We'll be adamant in maintaining our candidates' confidentiality to protect the integrity of the search, but we'll make sure you're informed as the process unfolds."
The letter was first reported by NFL Network, and an NFLPA source confirmed the information to ESPN.
The NFLPA is seeking to replace former executive director Lloyd Howell, who resigned in July after a two-year term that was marked by perceived conflicts of interest, scrutinized expense reports and a culture of secrecy that came to light in a series of recent ESPN reports.
Ahead of the union's last search process that resulted in Howell being picked, the board of player representatives voted to change the election procedure so that the identity of the candidates was kept confidential until the player representatives reported for the election meeting. Former NFLPA president J.C. Tretter, who resigned from his most recent role as chief strategy officer in July, led the search process that resulted in Howell's hiring.
A player representative told ESPN that the board of representatives and executive committee had a "productive" meeting this week when they voted to hire TurnkeyZRG.
"I expect the process to be very transparent this time around and to know candidates once they're approved by EC," the player representative said.
TurnkeyZRG's website lists the NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams as recent clients.
In August, the board of player representatives elected David White as interim executive director. White, a former executive director of SAG-AFTRA, was the only other finalist alongside Howell in the last election.