Tag: JC Tretter

J.C Tretter’s role as NFLPA President becoming problematic for Browns

The NFLPA and their President J.C. Tretter has discouraged players attending OTAs. Is his role problematic for the Browns?

The NFLPA has reached a victory of sorts in their pushback against players attending voluntary workouts and OTAs. Teams have been willing to modify their off-season programs in order to get most of their player’s attendance for at least some sort of work-out or OTA like activity. These concessions made by NFL teams have led to high attendance rates in the camps where a new plan has been agreed upon. Some teams are seeing 70 plus players attend the newly negotiated portion of their workouts.

NFLPA President J.C. Tretter wrote about the topic on Tuesday, saying that that less than half of NFL players attended the four-week Phase I “and players on more than half the teams in the league have negotiated new rules for the remaining voluntary workout periods.’’

He went on to talk about how team leaders have been able to get the program shortened to nine weeks, decrease the workload and intensity by lowering the number of practices, converting them to walk-throughs and doing away with 11-on-11s.

The Browns have agreed to an all-virtual Phase I and Phase II of the program for veterans, but plan to have an in-person Phase III which is comprised of 10 on-field OTA practices over the next three weeks, starting next week.

Despite the Browns willingness to adjust their off-season program, which was already collectively bargained and agreed upon, Tretter says he plans to stay away. He told Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated’s Monday Morning Quarterback that he and most of teammates will still not attend the voluntary practices because the leadership council believes “most guys feel good about where they’re training at and what they’re doing.”

What that means for the Browns ability to practice in the coming weeks depends on who shows up and who stands by Tretter. Having the President of the NFLPA has complicated things for the Browns and now could affect their progress as a team. The Browns have a ton of new faces, especially on the defensive side of the ball and surely would benefit from 10 OTA practices, if at the very least just to get acclimated with the system and coaching staff.

JC Tretter lobbies for all-virtual offseason as NFLPA president

Browns center JC Tretter lobbies for all-virtual offseason up to training camp in his role as NFLPA president

The Cleveland Browns are among many teams whose players chose to not participate in the initial offseason voluntary workouts. That decision was made at the behest of the NFLPA, whose president is Browns center JC Tretter.

Acting as the payer’s union president, Tretter spoke to the media on Monday as part of a scheduled NFLPA conference call. Tretter said he’s talked directly with Browns GM Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski about the rest of the offseason program leading into training camp. The NFLPA, and Tretter, continue to lobby for an all-virtual offseason.

“I’ve spoken with both Kevin and Andrew about the offseason program,” Tretter said. “They saw our statement that we wouldn’t be participating in it and that our goal, just like the union’s, is that we think it would be best if we had an all-virtual program. We think that’s the safest, best way to do it.”

The Browns have not yet commented publicly on the concept of having an all-virtual offseason, which was done last year due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Tretter noted that games lost to injuries were down 23 percent in 2020 despite the lack of the in-person offseason programs and he and the union want that trend to continue.

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NFLPA, league at odds over offseason workouts

The NFLPA is pushing for players to not attend voluntary workouts in person

NFL teams are scheduled to begin the first wave of voluntary offseason workouts next week, but the NFLPA is pushing to keep those sessions virtual. Led by Browns center JC Tretter, the NFL player’s association is fighting to keep those workouts, as well as the mandatory minicamp after the NFL draft, on a virtual attendance basis.

Tretter and the players believe the sessions can be completed effectively via remote instruction, as they were last year. In a statement to players, Tretter and NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith recommended that players not attend the workouts in person due to concerns over travel, COVID-19 restrictions and the ability to capably work out on their own that they demonstrated last year.

The letter stressed the voluntary status of the workouts. NFL teams strongly encourage all players to participate but the league has no recourse against players who choose to not attend, either in person or virtually.

The Denver Broncos players have already made it known they will not attend. Other teams are expected to follow suit. No word yet on the Browns, but with Tretter as the NFLPA president and a strong presence in the Cleveland locker room, expect something soon.

Final Browns injury report for divisional weekend: No players ruled out, 4 questionable vs. Chiefs

The Browns are finally getting healthy

There is very good news with the final Cleveland Browns injury report for the week leading into Sunday’s AFC divisional round matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs. No Browns players have been ruled out due to injury, and all players have been activated off the reserve/COVID-19 list.

The final injury report lists four Cleveland players as questionable:

  • RT Jack Conklin (knee/hamstring)
  • TE David Njoku (hamstring)
  • LB B.J. Goodson (hamstring)
  • TE Stephen Carlson (groin)

Four key players who were limited in practice during the week carry no injury status designation for the game. DE Myles Garrett, DT Sheldon Richardson, center JC Tretter and RG Wyatt Teller are all deemed good to go against the Chiefs.

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NFLPA’s DeMaurice Smith: No conversations about delaying playoff games due to COVID-19

The Browns recent COVID-19 outbreak appears it will not delay Sunday’s game

The Cleveland Browns finally got through one day without any more positive cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday. Yet the team remains decimated by the coronavirus, with over 10 players and coaches unavailable for Sunday night’s postseason game in Pittsburgh.

Would more positive tests in Cleveland threaten the game as scheduled? NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith was asked about that in his weekly press briefing. Smith admitted it’s not something that is likely, but it’s not out of the question if there is enough risk to the players’ health.

“The only thing I can say is there haven’t been any conversations about putting off the playoffs or putting off the Super Bowl that I’ve had with the league since the playoffs have started,” Smith told reporters Tuesday.

“We’ve tried to be incredibly flexible all year — we’ve seen some games moved, some games rescheduled,” Smith continued. “But the reality of where we are now in the playoffs and, given the tighter window … we probably don’t have the same level of contingencies for play during the playoffs leading up the Super Bowl, which is why we’re stressing that it is going to require an even increased vigilance.”

Browns center JC Tretter, the NFLPA’s president, offered the same basic take on the possibility of delaying the game. Tretter has consistently noted in his weekly briefings, done with Smith and assistant executive director George Atallah, that competitive balance or disadvantage cannot factor into the decision, but health reasons can.

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These 12 Browns players have previous playoff experience

Not many Browns players have playoff experience but these 12 do

Now that the Browns have made the postseason, they’re venturing into unchartered waters for almost everyone in the organization. Cleveland hasn’t played a postseason game since the 2002 season. Even owner Jimmy Haslam has never tasted the sweetness of a postseason game before with the Browns.

There are a few Browns who have some playoff experience elsewhere. Unfortunately, two of those who do — offensive lineman Chris Hubbard and defensive end Olivier Vernon — are on injured reserve and won’t play in Pittsburgh in Sunday’s wild-card round game with the Steelers.

Here are the other Browns who have some postseason experience under their belts.

Final Browns injury report for Week 16: Wyatt Teller out. Malcolm Smith questionable

The Browns are relatively healthy headed to New York

The final Cleveland Browns injury report for the Week 16 trip to New York to face the 1-13 Jets ruled out just one player.

Following Friday’s practice session, the Browns released the final injury update of the week and designations for Sunday’s game. Right guard Wyatt Teller is the only player ruled out. His ankle injury is expected to also keep him out in Week 17, though that is unofficial at this point.

Linebacker Malcolm Smith is the only other player with any injury designation. He is questionable with a hamstring injury. Smith was a limited participant all week after playing in last Sunday’s win over the Giants.

Right tackle Jack Conklin and center JC Tretter were both limited all week in practice but carry no injury designation into the matchup with the Jets.

Browns injury update: Wyatt Teller still sits, 9 players limited in practice

Sheldon Richardson and Malcolm Smith returned after being out on Wednesday

Christmas Eve saw the Cleveland Browns practice indoors due to inclement weather in Berea. It also saw several Browns sitting out at least part of the scheduled practice session.

Nine different players were listed as limited by the Browns in the post-practice injury report.

For two of the players, it was an upgrade from Wednesday’s “did not practice status. Both DT Sheldon Richardson (neck) and LB Malcolm Smith (hamstring) were back on the field as limited participants.

The remaining limited players:

  • RT Jack Conklin (knee)
  • RB D’Ernest Johnson (groin)
  • CB Kevin Johnson (knee/groin)
  • WR KhaDarel Hodge (hamstring)
  • C JC Tretter (knee)
  • CB Denzel Ward (calf)
  • LB Sione Takitaki (knee)

The only player sitting out fully was right guard Wyatt Teller with his ankle injury. He is not expected to play in Week 16 or Week 17.

Odell Beckham Jr. and JC Tretter both injured on the same play

Two Browns offensive starters went down during Darius Phillips’ INT return

It was a terrible first pass play for the Cleveland Browns offense in the Week 7 matchup with Cincinnati. On a play where Baker Mayfield threw an interception attempting to find WR Odell Beckham Jr. on a deep fly pattern, both Beckham and center JC Tretter left the field with injuries suffered on the play.

Beckham laid on the ground grasping at his knee/calf area for some time after the play. As he chased CB Darius Phillips on the INT return, Beckham leapt awkwardly and took some contact. Beckham was helped into the Browns locker room for further evaluation.

Tretter was also on the turf well after the play ended. He was evaluated on the Browns sideline for a knee injury. Tretter was back on the field for the Browns’ ensuing drive.

Update: Beckham is questionable to return with a knee injury.

NFLPA calls for Giants, Jets to install natural grass at MetLife Stadium

NFLPA president JC Tretter is demanding that all stadiums use natural grass, including MetLife Stadium, home of the New York Giants.

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Following a Week 2 beating of the New York Jets, the San Francisco 49ers expressed concern over the fieldturf at MetLife Stadium after several of their players went down with injury.

“That’s as many knee injuries and ankle stuff and people getting caught on the turf as I’ve even been a part of,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters after the game. “I know our players talked about it the entire game, just how sticky the turf was. Unfortunately it’s a place we got to go back to next week.”

Leading up to a Week 3 game against the New York Giants, also at MetLife Stadium, the turf underwent several inspections and passed each. Ultimately, the NFL deemed the field safe.

While injuries in the stadium were down in Week 3, there were a few that piled onto the tally for both New York and San Francisco.

Now, NFLPA president JC Tretter is calling for all stadiums to convert to natural grass as opposed to fieldturf, including MetLife Stadium.

Below is a section of Tretter’s demands from the NFLPA website.

Based on NFL injury data collected from 2012 to 2018, not only was the contact injury rate for lower extremities higher during practices and games held on artificial turf, NFL players consistently experienced a much higher rate of non-contact lower extremity injuries on turf compared to natural surfaces. Specifically, players have a 28% higher rate of non-contact lower extremity injuries when playing on artificial turf. Of those non-contact injuries, players have a 32% higher rate of non-contact knee injuries on turf and a staggering 69% higher rate of non-contact foot/ankle injuries on turf compared to grass.

During a media conference on Wednesday, Tretter doubled-down on his request, once again citing the statistics.

“The data stands out. Those numbers are staggering, the difference in injury rate between turf and natural grass. It’s possible to get grass in every location, and it’s about pushing for that. We all should be working toward the safest style of play. We know the dangers of playing on turf. That’s not good for anybody. It’s not good for players. It’s not good for the GMs and the head coaches. It’s not good for the owners. It’s not good for the fans. Increased injuries isn’t good for anybody,” he said, via ESPN.

“Until we can find a way to get synthetic turf to respond and react like natural grass, it’s too much of a danger to continue to play on and expect different results.”

MetLife Stadium is one of 13 NFL stadiums that use fieldturf.

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