After a surprising retirement from the NFLPA President on Thursday, there were questions for head coach Kevin O’Connell during his press conference.
When asked about J.C. Tretter, O’Connell said that he was “unaware” of any phone call to the Vikings, but also that he respects Tretter.
LIVE: Head Coach Kevin O'Connell talks to the media https://t.co/AtoKppRNdN
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 25, 2022
This is an interesting case. Tretter has made it clear that he would have loved to play for his boyhood favorite team. The intrigue comes from Tretter’s camp claiming they called the Vikings and O’Connell saying he and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah were unaware of any communication from his camp.
Could this have been a situation where his camp called the wrong people in the organization? Sure. Could it have been a story planted by the camp to try and drum up interest? Absolutely. So, what is the likely story here?
It could be that the Vikings didn’t want to sign him because he was the NFLPA president.
Anyone convinced that JC Tretter isn’t unemployed in large part because of his position with the NFLPA doesn’t understand how vindictive this league can be. It’s a fun sport but an absolutely brutal business. His health is a convenient way to avoid claims of collusion.
— Judd Zulgad (@jzulgad) August 25, 2022
Is that the full story? That remains to be seen, but it’s not out of the possibility. At the end of the day, the Vikings will have to look at a different option if they want to upgrade at center.
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