Former Center, JC Tretter, who played 5 years for the Cleveland Browns, was elected the executive director of the NFL Players Association on Tuesday, March 17, 2026.

He also served as the NFLPA president from 2020 to 2024, before resigning as the NFLPA’s chief strategy officer in 2025.

Amid all the praise and promises, there are some, not happy with this election.

According to The Athletic's Mike Jones, one player representative wished to remain anonymous with this sensitive matter and stated, “We have utterly failed the union and its members today by voting in JC Tretter as executive director.”

He added, “This felt like a back-door deal from the beginning with some members of the executive committee. The NFLPA needs change in its leadership from top to bottom. We have not listened to our current and former members about concerns regarding J.C. We have decided to fall back on friendship deals.”

And even Tretter, in an interview with CBS Sports, said, “I’m also going to leave the NFLPA in the coming days because I don’t have anything left to give to the organization.”

Of course, his degree in labor relations from Cornell University and prior experience in the Union made him a strong candidate for the Executive Director. However, during his time as the NFLPA President, he was swirling with controversies.

The major controversies include former Executive Director Lloyd Howell, who resigned in 2025 amid a federal investigation. Reportedly, he had heavy backing from Tretter during his hiring, with Tretter resigning as the chief strategy officer shortly after his exit.

Secondly, following a 2023 interview, Tretter allegedly advised the players to “fake injuries” to maintain leverage in contract negotiations.

Who else was in the running for the NFLPA Executive Director’s position?

Alongside former NFLPA president JC Tretter stood Interim Executive Director David White and American Conference Commissioner Tim Pernetti.

David White, the CEO of 3CG Ventures and the Chief Negotiator of Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), once said, "Our members have no appetite for a regular-season 18th game," at the union's annual Super Bowl week news conference, concerned with player health and safety concerns.

And despite not holding a formal role in the NFLPA, Tim Pernetti was also considered for the position. Under his leadership, the AAC became the first to set a minimum revenue-sharing standard and adopt NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) policies.

After meeting with all three candidates, player representatives from each team ultimately elected Tretter as the NFLPA Executive Director.

What do you think about the whole situation? Let us know in the comments!

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Written by

Monika Khatai

Edited by

Kalp Thaker