National Football League Players Association

National Football League Players Association

Abbreviation	NFLPA
Formation	1956; 68 years ago (1956)
Type	Trade union
Legal status	501(c)(5) organization
Headquarters	Washington, D.C., U.S.
Location	United States
Membership (2019)	2,423 ("active player" and "associate" members) 8,751 ("former player" members)[1]
President	Jalen Reeves-Maybin
Executive director	Lloyd Howell[2]
Subsidiaries	NFL Players Inc.[3] 1133 20th Street Building Corporation[3]
Affiliations	AFL–CIO
Website	nflpa.com

The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) is the labor union representing National Football League (NFL) players. The NFLPA, which has headquarters in Washington, D.C., is led by president Jalen Reeves-Maybin and executive director Lloyd Howell. Founded in 1956, the NFLPA is the second-oldest labor union of the four major North American professional sports leagues; it was established to provide players with formal representation to negotiate compensation and the terms of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The NFLPA is a member of the AFL–CIO, the largest federation of unions in the United States.^[4]

In the early years of the NFL, contractual negotiations took place between individual players, their agents, and management; team owners were reluctant to engage in collective bargaining. A series of strikes and lockouts have occurred throughout the union's existence largely due to monetary and benefit disputes between the players and the owners. League rules that punished players for playing in rival football leagues resulted in litigation; the success of such lawsuits impelled the NFL to negotiate some work rules and minimum payments with the NFLPA. However, the organization was not recognized by the NFL as the official bargaining agent for the players until 1968, when a CBA was signed. The most recent CBA negotiations took place in 2020.

In addition to conducting labor negotiations, the NFLPA represents and protects the rights of the players; the organization's actions include filing grievances against player discipline that it deems too severe. The union also ensures that the terms of the collective bargaining agreement are adhered to by the league and the teams. It negotiates and monitors retirement and insurance benefits and enhances and defends the image of players and their profession.