It doesn't take somebody with sharp vision to see the NFL Players Association has been a mess for years, often accused of being lackadaisical and even corrupt. While it claims to champion players' best interests, the evidence seems to swing more and more towards it actually doing what is best for the NFL. Never was that clearer than with the recent resignation of director Lloyd Howell, who was accused of misusing union funds for purposes such as strip clubs, holding part ownership of a private equity firm trying to buy into actual NFL teams, and colluding with the league to prevent players from receiving fully guaranteed contracts. Now, Chicago Bears players and others are being treated to new layers of this controversy.
Pablo Torre and Mike Florio, who broke the initial story, added new details revealing that former center JC Tretter is actually the mastermind behind all of this. He is the one who pushed for Howell to get the job, knowing how stupid and corrupt he was, and also guided not one but two cover-ups of arbitration rulings. Why? He aims to be the next executive director of the NFLPA.
It seems Chicago Bears representatives and others are catching on.
Reports have surfaced that several players who weren't in the loop on this situation have begun peppering the NFLPA for information. According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Tretter's apparent hold on the director position is still strong but starting to come under serious danger. A civil war is brewing inside the association. People in the NFL are starting to sense Tretter may get pushed out.
Player reps from all 32 NFL teams, plus several additional voices, met Friday night on a call to discuss the future leadership of the NFL Players’ Association. Based on the discussion, the race for the next executive director following the resignation of Lloyd Howell is down to two candidates: JC Tretter, who has the majority of support, and Don Davis, who several league sources have shared has had a strong push from players.
No timetable has been set for naming an interim executive director. A high-ranking executive in the NFL offices said Friday the league anticipates that whoever is appointed interim executive director will not be promoted to the full-time role. The league’s thinking stems from the belief that the union is ready to break from a group previously led by Howell and Tretter.
Tretter misplayed his hand, it seems.
The former center has developed a taste for politics inside the NFL. He served as president of the NFLPA for two terms. Clearly, he wanted the highest position of authority and was willing to use underhanded tactics to get it. That now threatens to blow up in his face if Chicago Bears players and others around the league get their way.
