JC Tretter, the former president of the NFL Players Association who resigned from his role as the union’s chief strategy officer last summer, was elected as its next executive director Tuesday.
Tretter, 35, will be the fifth executive director of the NFLPA. After more than 300 candidates were considered, he won a three-way election against David White, the union’s interim executive director, and Tim Pernetti, commissioner of the NCAA’s American Conference.
“There are times in your life when you know that you are exactly where you’re supposed to be. That’s where I am today,” Tretter said in a statement. “I’m grateful for the trust my fellow players have placed in me, and I’m going to reward that trust with my fullest commitment to these players and chart a new course for our union. My sole goal is to build up the strength of the NFLPA.
“I understand the responsibility that comes with this role and how important it is to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with player leadership. 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 needs leadership that listens, leads with integrity, and puts players first every day. That’s exactly how I plan to lead.”
The NFLPA said in a statement that it is “confident in the leadership” Tretter will bring to the players union.
“This decision reflects the responsibility our Board of Player Representatives carries on behalf of every player,” the union’s statement said. “We conducted a thorough, deliberate search to identify the right long-term leader to deliver sustained, meaningful progress for our members. JC earned the trust of our Board and demonstrated a clear commitment to serving this membership. We’re excited about what’s ahead.”
Tretter spent nine years in the NFL as a center for the Green Bay Packers (2013-16) and Cleveland Browns (2017-21). He also holds a labor relations degree from Cornell.
The players union needed a new permanent executive director after Lloyd Howell resigned last summer amid multiple scandals.
Reporting from multiple news outlets found that Howell had hidden key parts of an arbitration ruling from the union membership; had a conflict of interest as a consultant for The Carlyle Group, a private equity firm that had been approved to purchase up to 10% of an NFL franchise; and had expensed to the union two visits to a strip club.
While White served as the interim executive director, Tretter was once seen as a likely candidate for that post until he stepped down from the union in July 2025.
As NFLPA president (2020-24), Tretter oversaw the search that resulted in naming Howell the body’s executive director. And Tretter’s name appeared in an episode of the “Pablo Torre Finds Out” podcast that uncovered a second arbitration ruling kept under wraps from players.
A grievance filed against Tretter complained that he’d suggested players could fake injuries as a contract negotiation tactic, which Tretter told CBS Sports he knew was “a dumb tongue-in-cheek remark” he should not have said.
“I don’t have any proof of this,” Tretter told CBS. “I think a lot of the attacks on me came from inside the building over the last six weeks. And I don’t want to walk inside that building anymore.”
He told CBS at the time he wasn’t resigning “in disgrace,” but because he felt he’d been left exposed to take public shots while the union didn’t back him up. But he remained popular enough with players to consider coming back in the executive director position.
Tretter was heavily involved in the most recent collective bargaining agreement struck with the league in 2020, and he was a leader in creating the NFLPA’s annual “team report cards” that allow players to grade each club’s working conditions, from weight room and nutrition to the treatment of players’ families.
Team owners have been critical of the report cards being made public, and last month, an arbitrator ruled that the union distributing the report cards violated the CBA because they were seen as disparaging NFL teams and individuals.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell released a statement congratulating Tretter on his election.
“We have worked with JC for several years, first as union president when he helped the league and the NFLPA successfully navigate through COVID during the 2020 season,” Goodell said. “We look forward to building upon that relationship to further our shared priorities, including our commitment to advancing player health and safety and ensuring the global growth of our game for our fans, the players and our clubs.”
–Field Level Media
