Category: offseason activities

JC Tretter added another title to his name this offseason. Aside from being the starting center for the Cleveland Browns, Tretter now serves as the president of the NFLPA. He was elected shortly after creating an influential summary list of pros and cons for fellow players as they decided upon approving the new collective bargaining agreement.

Now Tretter is balancing his union responsibilities with his duties as the leader of the Browns offensive line. In a Zoom chat with the media on Tuesday, the focus was on Tretter’s work in leading the NFLPA in the effort to navigate the coronavirus pandemic and all the associated questions surrounding its impact on football this year.

When asked about his level of optimism about if the season will be played as normal, Tretter deferred from answering the unknown question directly.

“I would say I can’t put a percentage or level on it. I try to live in two-week increments,” Tretter said before further explaining how the players are approaching each step. “The information is ever-changing and ever-evolving … you can’t really look that far ahead. You can’t really live in that kind of world with hypotheticals when things are changing so much from week to week.”

Tretter stressed the need for increased testing, particularly for players and staffers with preconditions that leave them more vulnerable.

“There’s a long list of things that we need to come up with to make this environment safe for us,” Tretter stated when asked about what plans the union is pursuing.

Later he added, “I don’t think we’ll ever get to the point where there’s no risk of exposure,” referencing both football and just daily life.