Tag: JC Tretter

NFL Players Association President issues statement on 49ers practice field conditions

JC Tretter, the NFLPA president, hit the nail on the head when discussing the #49ers poor practice field conditions for the Super Bowl:

The quality of the 49ers’ practice field in Las Vegas has become an unforeseen storyline in the build up to Sunday’s Super Bowl between San Francisco and the Kansas City Chiefs.

While the NFL has claimed the sod laid atop the turf at UNLV’s practice field is within the league’s acceptable standard, the 49ers have raised a concern that the sod is too soft.

There was talk that the team might try to alter its practice plans to work out at a difference facility, but head coach Kyle Shanahan on Monday after a walk-through practice indicated the sod is improving and that the team would move forward practicing at UNLV.

While the issue appears to be resolved for now, NFL Players Association president JC Tretter spoke about the lack of quality on San Francisco’s practice field.

[gambcom-standard rankid=”3011″ ]

Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal had the quote:

It’s a good point and likely the 49ers’ sticking point in the entire issue. The field wasn’t such a disaster that it wasn’t playable, but they’re in the process of preparing for the biggest game of the year. Kansas City has the benefit of practicing at an NFL facility. The 49ers are on a makeshift field of sod so they don’t have to practice on potentially harmful turf.

Even if the poor conditions aren’t a player safety problem, they could certainly affect the 49ers’ preparations in a game where every possible advantage matters.

The NFL isn’t going to move the Super Bowl back or anything to accommodate San Francisco, and this can’t be an excuse should the 49ers struggle in Sunday’s game, but this will be something the league will have to ensure isn’t an issue in the leadup to future Super Bowls.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Former Browns C JC Tretter talks NFL working conditions

The Freakonomics podcast interview former Browns center JC Tretter about the NFLPA’s team report cards.

JC Tretter, the former center of the Cleveland Browns and current President of the NFLPA, went on Freakonomics last month. The popular business and economic podcast had the former Browns player on to discuss the workplace conditions of the NFL. Tretter is an alumnus of Cornell University with a degree in Industrial Labor Relations. His impressive credentials helped him secure a win as President during a very heated NFLPA election.

Last offseason the NFLPA conducted its first survey to assess the working conditions of all 32 teams. The survey was conducted by the NFL Players Association to evaluate various aspects of an organization, including physical facilities, nutrition, travel, and treatment of players’ families. The Cleveland Browns ranked 21st in the initial survey, with most complaints revolving around the team’s weight room which takes up a significant portion of their practice field.

Tretter doesn’t discuss the working conditions of the Browns, instead shining a light on the worst grades in the survey. The poor working conditions were shocking and appalling. Tretter recants multiple stories about rat infestations inside some of the premier NFL franchises. Another common complaint Tretter raised was how many teams were forcing their players to pay for the food they ate at the facilities.

Tretter emphasized that the results of the first survey are a starting block for teams and the players’ association. He stated that multiple NFL owners were unaware of how poorly their organization is operating and committed fully to upgrading their facilities and staff. It will be interesting to see how the Browns will move in the rankings. The Haslams have expressed interest in expanding the team’s Berea headquarters.

The Freakonomics episode is a fascinating introduction to the workplace conditions of the NFL. It’s interesting to see how the other side works.

64 days until Browns season opener: 5 players to wear 64 in Cleveland

64 days and Browns football will be on the schedule

In two weeks the entire team will have reported to training camp with the first official day of camp set for July 22 for the Cleveland Browns. The number 64 has been one of the more worn in team history as over 20 different players have worn it for Cleveland, most notably former center JC Tretter.

The number was first worn by Bud Schwenk who played quarterback and tailback way back in 1946. One of the most recent players that come to mind is Tretter, who still serves as the President of the NFL Players Association.

Let’s take a look back at some of the players that have worn the number 64 during the regular season in Cleveland.

Former Browns center JC Tretter joins Pat McAfee show, discusses NFLPA business

Here is a summary of NFLPA President’s interview on the Pat McAfee show.

Former Cleveland Browns center and NFLPA president JC Tretter was on The Pat McAfee Show to discuss the direction of the NFLPA after electing the new executive director Lloyd Howell. The interview was a little over 30 minutes long, not including some technical difficulties that disconnected the two.

Pat McAfee, the longtime NFL special teamer, has been a vocal critic of the players association. The interview provided rare insights into the tight-lipped union. Here are the most important takeaways from the interview.

JC Tretter and NFLPA announce new executive director

NFLPA announces Lloyd Howell is the new Executive Director.

[anyclip pubname=”2103″ widgetname=”0016M00002U0B1kQAF_M8036″]

Former Cleveland Browns center and NFLPA President JC Tretter announced that the NFL Players Association have elected Lloyd Howell as their new executive director. Lloyd Howell will be replacing DeMaurice Smith after the season. Lloyd Howell is a seasoned businessman whose last role was Chief Financial Officer of Booz Allen, a large consulting firm in Virginia before taking over with the NFLPA.

He has also served on the board of various companies. Former Browns center JC Tretter was in charge of the search and was assisted by other former Browns players Alex Mack and Jason McCourty.

Lloyd Howell will become the fourth executive director in the NFLPA’s history. Lloyd Howell’s skills as a businessperson signal that the Players Association could pivot from their reliance on legal strategies to combat potentially unfair NFL policies. DeMaurice Smith, a former lawyer, has overseen the last two collective bargaining agreements.

The handling of the 2020 collective bargaining negotiations was very contentious between two camps of players. Soon after, Smith was narrowly elected to his fifth term. The NFLPA would begin a 16-month search for Smith’s replacement shortly thereafter. Lloyd Howell inherits the agreement for the next seven seasons. In that time he will try to build consensus among the two camps. 

In a statement, Howell said, “The opportunity to represent the players is a privilege. I look forward to building relationships and the solidarity amongst our players. The history and strength of this institution is impressive, and I look forward to driving our bold goals and achieving them together in the future,” 

Roger Goodell released a statement to congratulate the new executive director, “I want to congratulate Lloyd Howell on his election as Executive Director of the NFL Players Association and to thank DeMaurice Smith for his continued partnership and unstinting work on behalf of NFL players. We look forward to working with Lloyd and his team to continue growing the game and making it better, safer, and more accessible and attractive to fans around the world.”

While Howell and Goodell have yet to work together, watching how their partnership will shape the sport will be interesting.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

JC Tretter included Panthers, Cowboys on shortlist of teams he’d sign with

The Panthers topped JC Tretter’s very shortlist of teams, which also included the Cowboys and Vikings, that he was willing to sign with back in the spring.

The Carolina Panthers put their offensive line through a major overhaul this offseason. And it turns out, they could’ve hauled in even more.

In a recent profile by Alex Prewitt of Sports Illustrated, retired center JC Tretter revealed that the Panthers were on his shortlist of teams he wanted to sign with shortly after being released by the Cleveland Browns back in the spring. In fact, the Panthers were at the tippy top of that preferred and very exclusive company.

“That fateful time, he feels, has finally come. Released by the Browns in mid-March, four days after he was elected to a second two-year term as president of the NFL Players Association, Tretter hit free agency intending to return for a 10th campaign before retiring,” Prewitt wrote. “His ‘short list’ of dream destinations was topped by the Panthers, as he has a longstanding relationship with offensive line coach James Campen; the Cowboys, ‘because I feel like if you’re going to play one last year, that environment would be fun’; and the Vikings, because he cheered for them as a child and “wanted to put a bow on my childhood.” But, Tretter says, none of the seven teams that his camp contacted reciprocated his interest. ‘Minnesota never returned our call,’ he says.

The standout center spent his first four NFL years with the Green Bay Packers and the final five in Cleveland. Campen, who coached up lines with both organizations, was around Tretter for five of those seasons.

Oh, and he kinda sorta knows the Panthers’ current starting quarterback as well. Save for one game in 2021, Tretter has lined up in front of Baker Mayfield for every single one of the former No. 1 overall pick’s pro outings.

Now, there’s no doubt Tretter could’ve made Carolina’s improved trench even stronger than it has become. But having an interior of Brady Christensen, Bradley Bozeman and Austin Corbett—especially at the price they have them at—ain’t too shabby.

[lawrence-related id=657247,649128]

[listicle id=657260]

Vikings claim they didn’t know J.C. Tretter called

The Vikings and J.C Tretter have conflicting stories

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.

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.

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.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyjpbajmjvnqmj player_id=none image=https://vikingswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Former Browns center J.C. Tretter announces his retirement

After 9 years in the league and potential landing spots around the league, Tretter calls it a career:

One of the many interesting moves that the Cleveland Browns made this offseason was the release of veteran center J.C. Tretter. The team saved significant cap space with the move and transitioned the starting role to Nick Harris.

Unfortunately for Harris and the Browns, he went down for the year on the second play of preseason. That led to speculation that a reunion with Tretter could be on the table.

Tretter’s name was also brought up when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers dealt with injuries.

Thursday, Tretter took himself off the board by retiring after nine years in the league including the last five with the Browns:

Tretter could still maintain his role as the NFLPA’s president. His predecessor, Eric Winston, did so for a few years while not an active player.

In Cleveland, Tretter was a part of a few blocking schemes but excelled in all of them. His fit in the zone scheme was perfect but injuries limited his ability to practice for most of the last couple of seasons. Despite those injuries, Tretter missed only one game but that was due to COVID-19 protocols in 2021.

The Browns Wire wishes Tretter well in retirement from the league.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbw33aqtym0ft0g player_id=none image=https://brownswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Former Packers center JC Tretter retiring from NFL

JC Tretter, a fourth-round pick of the Packers in 2013, is retiring from the NFL.

Center JC Tretter, a draft pick of the Green Bay Packers who played four seasons in Green Bay, is retiring from the NFL at the age of 31. The nine-year veteran announced his retirement in a post on Twitter on Thursday morning.

“I’ve been lucky to meet so many amazing people through my 9 years in the NFL,” Tretter wrote in a letter captioned “Onto the next chapter” on Twitter. “Thank you to everyone who made my career so much fun.”

Tretter played in 31 games – with 10 starts – for the Packers after former general manager Ted Thompson made him the 122nd overall pick in the 2013 draft. A college left tackle at Cornell, Tretter moved inside to start his NFL career and was excellent. He signed with the Browns in 2014 and went on to start 80 games at center in Cleveland.

Overall, Tretter played 919 snaps for the Packers at center. He played 1,000 or more snaps at center for five straight seasons in Cleveland.

The Browns released Tretter in March. He said he retiring from the game on his own terms.

Tretter also said he will continue on as president of the NFL Player Association.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbxb1xg7g19wqdc player_id=none image=https://packerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Potential Garrett Bradbury replacement suddenly retires

Vikings fans will not be happy with this

The Minnesota Vikings have a conundrum at the center position and one of their potential options just called it a career.

NFLPA President and former Cleveland Brown J.C. Tretter announced via his Twitter account that  he is retiring.

A popular option among fans to replace the much maligned first-round selection from 2019, Tretter was a top-five center when heathy but had been dealing with knee issues.

ESPN’s Kevin Seifert poked fun at Vikings fans want for Tretter by sharing an article stating that, despite wanting to play for his childhood favorite team, the Vikings never returned his call.

The Vikings will have to look elsewhere if they are to find a replacement for Bradbury.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyjpbajmjvnqmj player_id=none image=https://vikingswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]