NFLPA elects former OL JC Tretter as next executive director - ESPN

Player representatives for the NFL Players Association have elected former union chief strategy officer and retired Cleveland Browns offensive lineman JC Tretter as their next executive director, the union announced Tuesday.

«I understand the responsibility that comes with this role and how important it is to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with player leadership,» Tretter said in a statement posted to X. «This union has always played a critical role in shaping the game, and that work is as important now as it's ever been.»

The NFLPA has been searching for a permanent leader since July, when then-executive director Lloyd Howell resigned following ESPN reporting that he had charged a pair of strip club visits to the union. ESPN also reported that he worked part time for the Carlyle Group, a private equity firm that is seeking minority ownership in NFL franchises, and that the union and league had struck a confidentiality agreement to keep an arbitrator's rulings about possible collusion by NFL owners from players.

Tretter beat out an initial field of 300 candidates and the two other finalists — interim executive director David White, who was the former Hollywood actors' union chief, and American Conference commissioner Tim Pernetti.

«We conducted a thorough, deliberate search to identify the right long-term leader to deliver sustained, meaningful progress for our members,» the board of player reps said in a statement posted to X.

The NFL and NFLPA collective bargaining agreement expires in 2030, but Tretter will step into the role to address negotiations with the league over adding an 18th game and an international game for each team, goals about which Commissioner Roger Goodell and owners have been vocal. Tretter was the