JC Tretter, considered one of two favorites to take over as interim executive director of the NFL Players Association, resigned from the organization on Sunday, a league source confirmed to The Athletic.
A source briefed on the procedure said that the NFLPA executive board still plans to meet in the coming days to determine a process for selecting an interim executive director. The NFLPA had no comment on Tretter’s decision, which was first reported by CBS Sports.
Tretter’s resignation added to what has been a tumultuous few days for the players’ union. Lloyd Howell Jr. resigned as executive director on Thursday night after weeks of negative headlines surrounding his leadership, including reports by ESPN, Pro Football Talk and “Pablo Torre Finds Out.” The findings included the NFLPA reportedly agreeing to a confidentiality agreement with the NFL to hide information about an arbitration decision, as well as concerns about a potential conflict of interest involving Howell’s consulting work for a private equity group approved by the league for a minority ownership stake.
In the wake of Howell’s resignation, player reps from all 32 NFL teams, plus several additional voices, met on a call Friday night to discuss the future leadership of the NFLPA. Based on the discussion, the race for the next executive director was down to two candidates: Tretter, who was said to have the majority of support, and Don Davis, who several league sources have shared has had a strong push from players.
Like Howell, Tretter faced some scrutiny about his actions while with the organization. On July 17, a second arbitration ruling came to light, this one involving a grievance won by the NFL against the NFLPA over fake injuries. The original grievance, filed in 2023, stemmed from a comment made by Tretter, former union president and current NFLPA chief strategy officer, in which he suggested players could fake injuries as a contract-negotiation tactic. A decision was reached on Feb. 20 in which arbitrator Sidney Moreland determined Tretter’s comments violated the CBA.
This story will be updated.
(Top photo of JC Tretter: Kirby Lee / USA TODAY Sports)