With the preseason tapes being dissected by teams all around the league, a new headline has taken hold of the NFLPA. In the past couple of months, allegations of collusion against players have already rattled the union, with many voicing grievances. Remember the Ravens–Jackson saga? Now, the spotlight shifts to the union’s own work environment. The upheaval began in early August when the NFL Players Association named David White as interim executive director just 17 days after Lloyd Howell Jr. resigned. That announcement was supposed to bring stability, yet instead, a storm is brewing as reports surface of multiple internal complaints, hinting that the real battles may be inside the union walls.
At the eye of the storm is Heather McPhee, associate general counsel for the NFLPA since 2009, who is now the subject of explosive workplace allegations. Reports claim she failed to follow supervisors’ directions, bullied colleagues, and disrupted the union’s work environment, as per ESPN. The NFLPA has taken further steps against her, escalating an already volatile situation inside the organization. Before the NFLPA proves these allegations, it needs to provide extensive proof to counter the claims of retaliation.
NFLPA puts in-house counsel Heather McPhee on paid leave. https://t.co/k3wAQG60aE
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) August 15, 2025
The decision to place McPhee on leave comes months after her own accusations helped spark a federal investigation. The probe is focused on the financial dealings of the NFLPA and MLBPA in connection with OneTeam Partners, their $2 billion licensing company. McPhee had retained legal counsel in June as the FBI inquiry into the unions’ relationship with OneTeam intensified. The fact that the licensing firm is 44.5% owned by the NFLPA makes matters murkier.
All these had been brewing for the past couple of months. On May 30, McPhee sent a memo to the NFLPA executive committee revealing federal investigators had contacted her about OneTeam Partners and the NFLPA. According to Kaplan, McPhee wrote that she was ordered to stop working on the OneTeam investigation “with the threat of employment discipline.” That directive added more fuel to the already brewing internal conflict.
David White, the NFLPA’s interim executive director, signed a letter dated Tuesday that officially outlined the workplace allegations against McPhee. All of the information came to light when portions of the letter were read to an ESPN reporter on Thursday (August 14). Sources added that the NFLPA had hired outside law firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe months ago to investigate the accusations. This sets the stage for a battle that could shake the union from the inside out.
Heather McPhee finds herself in the middle of legal storms
No comments have been issued by Heather McPhee or her lawyer, William Pittard. The NFLPA spokesperson also declined to offer any statement. Sources familiar with the situation revealed that among those filing complaints was Matt Curtin, head of NFL Players Inc. and a member of the OneTeam board. Curtin, hired by former director Lloyd Howell, was once a candidate for interim executive director before the abrupt resignation of NFLPA chief strategy officer JC Tretter.
The legal battle could reveal information never before made public. The potential case is expected to bring intense scrutiny to the union’s internal operations and leadership decisions. Previously, McPhee had pushed the NFLPA to investigate claims of OneTeam board members awarding themselves equity shares. The NFLPA ultimately took steps and engaged lawyer Richard Smith to look into the OneTeam agreement. Smith’s review of the NFLPA’s interactions with OneTeam was wrapped up in March itself. Even then, McPhee claimed that Howell wrongfully halted it. Her whistleblower status remains unconfirmed.
McPhee’s history includes prior legal troubles. In May 2017, she was arrested on charges of driving under the influence and resisting arrest, according to court documents obtained exclusively by Circa. Records show she was later charged with operating a vehicle while impaired and entered a guilty plea. The complaint says McPhee resisted officers during the arrest, allegedly repeating, “Really Dude,” to the arresting officers.
A veteran in NFLPA legal battles, McPhee once represented Tom Brady and also defended former Baltimore Raven Ray Rice in his appeal of the league’s indefinite suspension. Today, she faces multiple allegations, although the scope of the investigation is yet unknown. The headlines come only months after explosive claims over fully guaranteed contracts shook the league’s labor front.
The post NFLPA Places Lawyer, Who Allegedly Bullied Colleagues, on Paid Leave Amid Ongoing Controversy appeared first on EssentiallySports.
