Report: NFLPA panel split on extension for DeMaurice Smith

The National Football Players Association executive committee couldn't come to a unanimous decision to approve an extension for executive director DeMaruice Smith, sources told ESPN's Dan Graziano.

The 14-member committee giving a majority approval vote likely would have secured Smith's future with the players' union for a few more years. However, the panel was evenly split 7-7 on offering a new contract, Graziano reports.

Smith's future now rests in the hands of the league's 32 player representatives who are scheduled to vote during a Friday conference call on whether to re-elect him.

For him to be re-elected and permitted to negotiate a new contract, 22 of the 32 player representatives would need to vote for Smith. He needs at least 16 votes to be eligible as a candidate, according to the NFLPA constitution.

Failing to gain 22 votes would lead to the executive director position being officially open, allowing other candidates to run for the position ahead of the league’s annual meetings next March.

Smith has served as the union's head since 2009. He's helped to guide players through a lockout before striking a labor deal in 2011. The union has extended Smith's contract on three previous occasions, with his most recent new deal coming in 2017.

The 57-year-old has come under fire after the NFLPA narrowly signed off on the current collective bargaining agreement that runs through 2030. The new 10-year pact established a 17-game regular-season schedule and a 48.5% revenue share for players.

Union members criticized the timing of the deal, as it came prior to the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. But Smith and the NFLPA's leadership insisted that coming to an agreement before the 2020 season was beneficial for players.