Former Packers player gets in hot water, and it happened as the NFL faced harsh criticism despite avoiding collusion ruling

At the time, JC Tretter was the NFLPA's president. Once his eligibility as a president expired, the former offensive lineman took over as the union's chief strategy officer, a position created by current executive director Lloyd Howell.

Collusion case

Back in 2022, the Cleveland Browns gave quarterback Deshaun Watson a fully-guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract. After that point, the NFL allegedly advised teams to avoid these types of deals.

Most notably, it affected Lamar Jackson's negotiations with the Baltimore Ravens. The team applied a non-exclusive franchise tag on Lamar in 2023, and no team negotiated with the MVP quarterback to try to sign an offer sheet. Jackson ended up accepting a five-year, $260 million deal with $185 million in guarantees.

According to the ruling made by arbitrator Christopher Droney in the collusion grievance filed by the NFLPA, "there is little question that the NFL Management Council, with the blessing of the Commissioner, encouraged the 32 NFL Clubs to reduce guarantees in veterans' contracts at the March 2022 annual owners' meeting."

However, the "NFLPA did not prove that there was an implied collusive agreement or any expert evidence (. . .) for the NFLPA to meet its standard of proof."

Football career

JC Tretter was drafted by the Packers in the fourth round back in 2013 after four college seasons at Cornell. The center played four years in Green Bay, mostly as a backup interior offensive lineman. In 2017, he left in free agency and signed with the Cleveland Browns, becoming a starter.

Tretter played the last five years of his career for the Browns before retiring after the 2021 season. He had two terms as the NFLPA president after being elected in 2020 and re-elected in 2022.