One of the longest-serving employees at the NFL Players Association will be ending his tenure.
Via Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal, NFLPA general counsel Tom DePaso will be retiring. DePaso, 69, joined the union in 1984.
DePaso spent one year in the NFL, as a linebacker with the Bengals.
“From his early days as an intern and staff attorney with the NFLPA to serving as our General Counsel, Tom has played a pivotal role in shaping policies, protecting player rights and strengthening the union,” the NFLPA said in a statement. “His commitment to the players and the game has left a lasting impact that will be felt for generations to come.”
The news comes on the heels of Fischer’s report that roughly 34 NFLPA employees have accepted a buyout package. Presumably, DePaso took the offer, too.
It’s possible that the union realized he was too important to the operation, resulting in a more extended runway for his exit.
DePaso’s retirement date has not yet been determined. Last May, NFL general counsel Jeff Pash’s planned retirement was announced; he’s still in the job while the league finalizes its search for a replacement.
The NFLPA has had a couple of less-than-desirable outcomes in legal matters recently. The cancellation of a licensing deal with Panini resulted in a $7 million arbitration award against the union. More recently, a collusion grievance regarding the league’s refusal to give fully-guaranteed contracts to certain veteran contracts (specifically, Lamar Jackson, Russell Wilson, and Kyler Murray) resulted in no recovery for the players. (There was a finding of collusive behavior, but a finding of no proof of damages; the actual ruling continues to be closely guarded by all involved.)
It’s unclear how much of the blame for that lands with DePaso’s group; often, management makes decisions without regard to the advice of in-house counsel — and then outside counsel defends the actions in arbitration or litigation.
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