Pablo Torre Finds Out The State of the (NFL) Union, with Mike Florio
Mar 24, 2026
Mike Florio, veteran NFL reporter and Pro Football Talk founder, analyzes the NFL’s internal chaos and what it means for the sport’s future. He breaks down secretive union processes and how the league could push an 18-game season. They explore media-rights incentives, new weekly windows, and how governance choices might reshape player leverage.
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Secretive NFLPA Election Rules Concentrated Control
- The NFLPA changed its election rules to keep finalist identities secret, which Mike Florio says concentrated control and obscured accountability.
- Florio traces the amendment to J.C. Tretter and shows how secrecy prevented board reps and members from evaluating finalists like Lloyd Howell.
Reporter Memory Of Past Chaotic NFLPA Elections
- Mike Florio recounts his long history covering multiple NFLPA elections and how past chaotic contests prompted the secrecy amendment.
- He contrasts the 'shit show' 2015 election with later overcorrections that created the current opaque process.
Union Repeats Flawed Process After Public Scandal
- The recent NFLPA executive director selection recycled the same opaque process despite prior scandal, raising governance concerns.
- Pablo and Florio highlight player reps' silence, absence of press conferences, and finalists dominated by insiders like J.C. Tretter.