JC Tretter is in the middle of it all right now. But that’s part of his job description – for both his jobs, really – and he understands it comes with the territory.
Still, for Tretter, the starting center for the Cleveland Browns, this is something he never bargained for when he ran for – and won – an election four months ago to be the new president of the NFL Players Association.
Suddenly, life in the trenches has taken on a whole new meaning, as Tretter and the union he’s helping lead – representing nearly 2,000 other players – continue negotiations with the league on a variety of health and safety issues, as well as some weighty economic concerns, with NFL teams scheduled to begin training camp this week in the middle of a pandemic.