Tretter addresses stance on offseason with Stefanski, GM

Union president wants to ensure team’s work, meetings stay virtual.

JC Tretter has talked it out with Browns brass.

It won’t be the last time.

The president of the NFL Players Association and starting center of the Browns revealed Monday he has discussed the union’s stance about offseason workouts with coach Kevin Stefanski and General Manager Andrew Berry.

Last week, Browns players cited COVID-19 concerns and injury data from 2020 while stating through the NFLPA they will exercise their rights to work virtually this spring instead of attending an in-person voluntary offseason program. As of late Monday afternoon, 19 other NFL teams had made similar public vows.

“I’ve spoken with both Kevin and Andrew about the offseason program,” Tretter said during a conference call NFLPA leadership held with reporters. “They saw our statement that we wouldn’t be participating in it and that our goal, just like the union’s, is that we think it would be best if we had an all-virtual program. We think that’s the safest, best way to do it.”

Tretter said the Browns began virtual meetings Monday, and the players received “a summary of what this offseason’s going to look like, what the goals are.”

Those meetings will continue to be conducted virtually for a while. The players are not contractually obligated to report to team headquarters until mandatory minicamp, which would be held in June, if there is one.

The pandemic wiped out all in-person workouts and practices as well as preseason games last year. Training camp practices didn’t begin until August.

Tretter is adamant players benefited from those changes physically and mentally. He has been publicly pushing to scrap the offseason program since the end of 2020.

“With the virus going on and just moving forward, we think we need to have conversations about the best way the offseason works for everybody involved that keeps

people healthy and keeps people safe,” Tretter said Monday. “We saw what happened with the injury data. We saw the 23% reduction in missed-time injuries. Those are significant for players. That is a big-time statistic for guys to look at and see what they’re risking by going back in person.

“The coaches and teams will put pressure on [players by saying] you may not make the team if you’re not here in the middle of April, but the quickest way off a team is to get hurt in the middle of the offseason. And when you see how many injuries we avoided by not being there, it may be actually one of the most dangerous places to be in the offseason as a player is to be on those practice fields for really unnecessary workouts and practices that get guys hurt. So that’s what we talked about as a team, and we’ve talked to our coaches about that and our leadership about that.”

Despite the Browns not practicing under Stefanski and the rest of a new coaching staff until August, they went 11-5 last season to make the playoffs for the first time since 2002. They also advanced to the divisional round of the postseason by earning their first playoff win since Jan. 1, 1995.

As an organization, the Browns have yet to comment on their players’ stance about the offseason program in 2021, but Stefanski was scheduled to speak to beat writers who cover the team on Tuesday.

NFLPA doesn’t want mandatory minicamp

Last week, the NFL outlined its plans for the offseason program and broke the schedule into three phases.

The first one began Monday and will run through May 14. It will consist of virtual participation and no on-field work. The second one (May 17-May 21) will consist of virtual meetings and on-field drills with coaches. Teams can hold rookie minicamps. The third one (May 24-June 18) will consist of traditional organized team activity practices (OTAS) and a mandatory minicamp.

Stefanski should not expect to coach his players in person until mandatory minicamp, though the union would like to have it eliminated.

“We believe that the science and everything we’ve talked about before strongly demonstrates that we would be better off not having even the mandatory minicamp,” NFLPA Executive Director Demaurice Smith said. “With respect to the conversations we’re having with our players right now, it’s all about the voluntary OTAS. If there was going to be a change to the mandatory minicamps, that would have to be collectively bargained.”

As for players gathering to work out together the way quarterback Baker Mayfield and some teammates did last offseason, Smith said the union advises against it.

Tretter has had first vaccine shot

The NFL is not requiring players to be vaccinated. Tretter said he has received the first of two COVID-19 vaccine doses.

“I’m one shot in. I’ve got one shot to go,” he said.

Whenever another player asks Tretter about vaccines, he said he refers them to NFLPA Medical Director Thom Mayer.

“Our job is not telling people what to do, but informing them and answering all of their questions and letting them make the decision for themselves,” Tretter said.

Mayer said he has “taken well over 100 calls from players and their families” about vaccines. Mayer said he has encouraged players to get vaccinated while giving them the facts.

“To be clear, I recommend that they seriously consider getting vaccinated,” Mayer said, “but each family comes to their own conclusion.”