It has been three years since quarterback Russell Wilson infamously agreed to a contract extension with the Denver Broncos. Wilson then suited up for the Pittsburgh Steelers and will now lead the New York Giants’ offense for the 2025 season.
Wilson has signed for two different teams following his departure from the Broncos, yet the contract saga from 2022 continues to make headlines.
It has been revealed that former NFLPA president JC Tretter sent various texts insulting Wilson following his extension with the Broncos, with one calling him a “loser.” Tretter, who was a center for the Green Bay Packers and the Cleveland Browns, appeared on “The Dan Patrick Show” to explain the controversy.
Why Did JC Tretter Call Russell Wilson a ‘Loser’?
When Wilson agreed to a five-year, $245 million contract with the Broncos following his trade from the Seattle Seahawks, Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson had just signed a five-year, $230 million contract.
The deal, which was fully guaranteed, alarmed NFL owners and began the collusion allegations between the owners themselves.
“They asked about guaranteed contracts,” Tretter said when talking to Patrick. “And I said the next best person to favor a guaranteed contract is Russell Wilson. I thought he was traded for assets similar to Deshaun Watson.
“He’s a former Super Bowl winner,” Tretter said. “The team can’t just let him leave. They have a lot of pressure on them. They also have a cash-rich owner. There’s a lot of things in his favor to get a guaranteed contract.”
Wilson’s deal happened when Tretter and the NFLPA pushed for quarterbacks to receive fully guaranteed contracts. Tretter believed that Wilson was in a prime position to be the next quarterback to help advance the movement. However, when Wilson failed to secure a 100% guaranteed contract, Tretter sent some choice words over text.
“When he did not get a guaranteed contract, I texted D (then-executive director of the union, DeMaurice Smith) and I called him a loser,” Tretter said. “Uh, and I called him a wuss.” Tretter admitted to using these words and confirmed the leaked messages.
Tretter made his frustrations about the Wilson deal quite clear. He and the NFLPA hoped that Wilson would help their case so players would receive guaranteed contracts more consistently. Tretter followed up his explanation by expressing his regrets for the messages, claiming he did not know what was happening behind the scenes.
“That was before the collusion grievance was launched,” Tretter told Patrick. “That was before the idea of collusion had come up. Months later was when we launched the collusion grievance.
“That’s why in my deposition, they asked me about it, and I said if I knew the league was colluding against Russell, I would apologize because I would know there was factors outside his control that were illegal and not allowed to happen,” Tretter said. “But I didn’t know that at the time I sent the text message.”
Tretter claimed that the messages came from a place of disappointment inside professional negotiations, although they were far from professional. Tretter did not have any personal hatred towards Wilson, commenting that he would have apologized for the messages if he were aware of the collusion grievances that came later.
How Did Tretter’s Texts Damage the NFLPA’s Case?
Tretter sent the messages out of frustration over the Wilson contract, which he believed was a massive setback for players and the NFLPA. However, an apology now doesn’t do much good for anyone. Once Tretter’s messages saw the light of day, the NFLPA lost any ground to stand on. The NFLPA lost the grievance as the ruling favored the NFL.
System Arbitrator Christopher Droney ruled there wasn’t enough evidence to prove teams acted on alleged encouragement from the league to avoid guaranteed deals.
This ruling came despite documents showing the NFL Management Council advised the organizations to cut back on contract guarantees after Watson’s historic 2022 deal. Tretter served as president of the NFLPA from 2020 to 2024 before resigning due to the toll the controversy took on him and his family.
Tretter’s regretful tone and willingness to own up to his harsh words point to how emotional the grievance battles were and how they affected Tretter. However, it comes far too late, as the messages towards Wilson, although out of frustration, were unnecessary and detrimental to Tretter and the NFLPA.
As training camps begin, Wilson is focused on a new era with the Giants, hoping to jumpstart a lost franchise. While Wilson prepares for his 14th season in his illustrious NFL career, his contract situation from 2022 remains is still being talked about.
As Tretter deals with the fallout of his messages and resignation, the NFLPA works to regain its strong reputation as the voice of the players while continuing to search for an interim executive director following a month filled with turmoil for the union.
