SIGN THIS PETITION to send a message to the 32 player representatives who will choose the next NFLPA Executive Director: the NFL community is watching, and we demand better than JC Tretter. Every signature — from players, agents, staff, former players, and fans — tells the reps that this vote is not happening in the dark. Share this link with every player, agent, and reporter you know. The vote is days away.

To the 32 Player Representatives of the NFL Players Association:

We, the undersigned — current and ex-NFLPA staff, retired player leaders, certified agents, and members of the NFL player community — write to urge you to reject JC Tretter’s candidacy for Executive Director of the NFLPA.

On March 5, 2026, Don Davis — a sixteen-year veteran of the NFLPA and one of its most respected staff leaders — published an open letter to NFL players and walked out the door. His letter quoted the Preamble of the NFLPA Constitution and its pledge “to preserve and enhance the democratic involvement of our members” and urged players to “show up, read the materials, ask the hard questions.” He reminded you that “democracy only works when players refuse to be passive.”

Don Davis did not name names. He did not have to. His departure — after Heather McPhee’s and Craig Jones’s firings and a year of cascading scandal — is itself the message. The people who built and sustained this union are leaving or being pushed out. The institution is hemorrhaging talent, credibility, and your money.

A vote for JC Tretter is a vote for more drama, embarrassment and legal bills. It is a vote to make every existing problem worse and to guarantee years of compounding costs that come directly out of union resources that should be serving you.

The Record of Dysfunction 

• JC ran the search that hired Lloyd Howell — a selection so catastrophic that Howell lasted barely two years before resigning amid an FBI investigation, concealed arbitration rulings, conflicts of interest, and expense report fraud.

• JC helped conceal an arbitration ruling finding that NFL leadership actively encouraged owners to suppress guaranteed player compensation. Players entering free agency in March 2025 were denied leverage that could have directly increased their earnings. JC knew or should have known about the ruling, and should have helped players use it to their advantage. 

• JC triggered a separate NFL grievance by publicly suggesting players could fake injuries for contract leverage — a violation of the CBA that was also concealed from players, and for which the union fired the arbitrator who ruled against it.

• JC said he did not want this job. July 2025: “I have no interest in being executive director. I have no interest in being considered.” He is now a finalist. As Don Davis warned: “Be informed before you speak.” JC’s own words should disqualify him.

A Hostile Work Environment That Is Costing You Money

The human cost of the Tretter-Howell era is now undeniable:

• Heather McPhee (15+ years) — Fired after cooperating with the FBI and filing a $10 million federal lawsuit alleging obstruction of justice and retaliation. Her case will cost the union millions in legal fees to defend, and potentially millions more in settlement or judgment.

• Craig Jones (17½ years) — Fired after raising internal concerns about Tretter and Howell. A wrongful termination lawsuit is widely expected. More legal bills. More discovery. More embarrassing depositions.

• Don Davis (16 years) — Resigned March 4, 2026. His departure letter urged players to protect democracy and ask hard questions. When a sixteen-year veteran walks away rather than continue, the institution is broken.

That is nearly fifty years of combined institutional knowledge and experience lost in a matter of months. Every one of these departures represents expertise that cannot be replaced overnight — and legal exposure that will take years and millions of dollars to resolve. 

The Financial Cost to Players

Every dollar the NFLPA spends on litigation defense, crisis management, and settlement payouts is a dollar that does not go to player programs, benefits, or CBA preparation. Consider the mounting bill:

• McPhee lawsuit: $10 million in claimed damages, plus hundreds of thousands in defense costs already accruing. Outside litigation counsel does not come cheap.

• Jones termination: If he files a wrongful termination claim — which is expected — that is another seven-figure litigation expense.

• FBI investigation: The NFLPA had to retain criminal defense counsel to navigate the EDNY probe into One Team Partners. Federal investigations can last years and cost millions.

• Collusion ruling appeal: The NFL sought $14 million in attorneys’ fees after winning the collusion arbitration — a case JC presided over. That claim was rejected, but the underlying appeal costs remain.

• Report Card grievance: The NFL won an arbitration ruling ending the public Team Report Card program — JC’s signature initiative — generating more legal costs on a program that violated the CBA.

Electing JC Tretter does not stop the bleeding. It accelerates it. His election would generate a new cycle of media coverage that further damages the union’s public standing and negotiating credibility.

The Risk of Government Takeover

When the United Auto Workers was found to have engaged in corruption and self-dealing, the DOJ imposed a federal consent decree with a court-appointed monitor who effectively controlled the union for six years. Seventeen officials were convicted, including two former presidents.

The NFLPA now faces an active FBI criminal investigation in the Eastern District of New York. Electing the person who presided over the period under investigation sends a signal to federal prosecutors that this union cannot self-govern. That signal dramatically increases the risk of government-imposed oversight that would strip players of control over their own union.

What We Are Asking

Don Davis told you to ask the hard questions. Here they are:

Demand conflict-of-interest disclosure before you vote. Has any executive committee member been offered, promised, or discussed any employment, consulting, or advisory role in a Tretter administration? If the people recommending JC have a personal stake in his election, their recommendations are compromised. You deserve to know.

Demand a full accounting of legal expenditures. How much has the NFLPA spent on litigation, settlements, criminal defense counsel, and crisis management in the past eighteen months? You are stewards of player money. You are entitled to this number before you choose the next leader.
Ask outside counsel about the FBI investigation. Ask the union’s attorneys directly: does electing the person who presided over the period under investigation make government intervention more or less likely? Get the answer on the record.

Reject JC Tretter’s candidacy. His documented record of concealment, process manipulation, CBA violations, retaliation, and the hostile environment created under his leadership make him unfit for this role. His election would compound every existing problem and generate years of additional legal costs.

Choose a leader who represents a genuine break from the cycle of concealment, self-dealing, retaliation, and mounting legal costs. The next ED must be someone who will operate in the open, welcome accountability, and restore trust — with the membership, the staff, the public, and the federal authorities now watching.

Sign This Petition. Share It. Make Your Voice Heard.

This petition is open to everyone who cares about the future of the NFLPA:

• Current and former NFL players: This is your union. Your benefits, your grievances, your CBA. Your voice carries the most weight.

• Certified agents: Your clients’ contracts were directly harmed by the concealed collusion ruling. Your livelihood depends on a functional, credible union at the negotiating table.

• Current and former NFLPA staff: You built this institution. You deserve a workplace free from retaliation and a leader worthy of your dedication. Anonymous signatures are accepted and protected.

• NFL fans and the broader sports community: The NFLPA’s integrity affects the game you love. Accountability matters.

Every signature tells the 32 player representatives: we are watching this vote. You are not making this decision in the dark. The consequences of getting this wrong again — more lawsuits, more legal bills, more embarrassment, potential government takeover — will be owned by every rep who votes for it.

Add your name below. Then share this petition with every player, agent, reporter, and fan you know. The vote is March 13. The time to act is now.

Don Davis spent sixteen years in the fire. He told you that collective power is the only power that sustains. He told you that legacy is about stewardship, not headlines. He told you to refuse to be passive.

He was telling you to fight for this union. So are we.

This petition was launched by current and ex-NFLPA staff, retired player leaders and certified agents. All facts cited are drawn from public reporting by ESPN, NBC Sports/Pro Football Talk, Sports Illustrated, CBS Sports, federal court filings, and Don Davis’s public LinkedIn letter. No privileged or confidential information has been used.

[Anonymous signatures are accepted and protected given the history of NFLPA retaliation. Your name and affiliation will be visible only if you choose to make them public.]