Following the resignation of former NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell, former players association president and current chief strategy officer JC Tretter was considered a favorite to take over the leadership role. That is no longer the case, as Tretter resigned from his current role with the organization on Sunday, he told CBS Sports, and he will not pursue the executive director position. Longtime NFL linebacker and current NFLPA chief player officer Don Davis is reportedly the other frontrunner to land the role.
The decision comes as both the NFL and NFLPA have come under fire after Meadowlark Media's Pablo Torre uncovered a 61-page ruling stemming from a collusion grievance filed by the players against the league. While the arbitrator assigned to the case ultimately ruled in favor of the league, the findings revealed text messages shared between Chargers owner Dean Spanos and Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill in which they discussed the contracts given to quarterbacks Justin Herbert and Kyler Murray and criticized the Browns for the fully guaranteed deal given to Deshaun Watson. Even with that bombshell potential collusion, the NFLPA opted against releasing the ruling. Torre reported that decision was made, in part, to protect Tretter, whose own text messages criticizing Russell Wilson for failing to get a full guaranteed contract from the Broncos were including in the ruling.
