J.C. Tretter made the surprising move of retiring last month. The 31-year-old had been a quality full-time starter for five seasons with the Browns, but, as he confirmed not long after announcing his decision, he faced a notable lack of free agent options.
Tretter was released by Cleveland in March, leaving him on the open market throughout the summer. Over that span, he told Sports Illustrated’s Alex Prewitt, the Cornell alum put together a shortlist of clubs he would prefer to sign with, including the Panthers, Cowboys and Vikings. In all, his representatives contracted seven teams inquiring about a potential deal.
“Minnesota never returned our call,” Tretter said, however, adding that none of his potential landing spots showed significant interest in signing him. That lack of a market was noted throughout the summer, when injuries such as the one suffered by Ryan Jensen did little (if anything) to increase his chances of joining a third career team. That led to speculation that Tretter’s status as NFLPA president was a contributing factor to his circumstances.
Indeed, the former fourth-rounder added, “I always said, ‘My NFLPA job is gonna end my career well before my knees end my career.'” Tretter’s role in the union was reported to be a source of tension between himself and the Browns which explained, in part, their decision not only to release him but to not seek a reunion after projected replacement Nick Harris suffered a season-ending knee injury.
With respect to contract demands, Tretter described his desired salary as “not at a vet minimum” but also “well below the value [that] I bring.” He averaged over $10.8M on the contract that the Browns terminated, but would, based on those comments, have accepted a significantly lower rate to continue his playing days.
Regardless of the circumstances surrounding the end of his on-field football career, Tretter reiterated that he will not look to un-retire at any point in the 2022 season if interest in him were to heat up. Instead, he will turn his attention elsewhere, including his remaining time as NFLPA president.
“I’ve gotten to the point where I’m going to retire,” he said. “I know what I’ve accomplished in my career and I’m at peace with that.”
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