Report: Giants' Michael Thomas Favored to Win NFLPA President Vote

New York Giants safety Michael Thomas is reportedly the favorite to succeed Eric Winston as president of the NFL Players Association. 

ESPN's Cameron Wolfe reported the update Tuesday and noted Thomas has the high-profile support of San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman.

Los Angeles Chargers offensive lineman Russell Okung dropped out of the race and also endorsed Thomas, per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network.

Okung filed a complaint Monday with the National Labor Relations Board alleging the NFLPA, led by executive director DeMaurice Smith, forced a final vote on a new collective bargaining agreement despite objections from the union's executive committee, a violation of the league's constitution.

The NFLPA released a statement about the complaint Tuesday:

Winston, who last played in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2017, has been the union's president since March 2014.

He told Peter King of NBC Sports he expected the CBA to comfortably receive approval.

"I've gotten that question a few times," Winston said. "I would think it would pass. I would think it would pass by a lot. It's important that we let the process play out, and important that all players understand the issues and vote their conscience."

Thomas is one of nine current vice presidents of the Players Association. He's also a Giants' team representative for the union and a team captain.

The 29-year-old Houston native earned a master's degree in business administration from the University of Miami after playing college football at Stanford.

"I was thinking about the future. This game is going to come to an end one day," Thomas told Christina M. Tapper of Sports Illustrated in 2016. "I want to develop myself as a businessman. Pursuing an M.B.A. made sense. I'm excited about what I can do with this degree."

The final vote on a new president was expected Tuesday, though it's unclear if the timeline has changed after the union extended the CBA vote deadline from Thursday to Saturday.