The appointment of JC Tretter as the NFL Players Association’s executive director didn’t sit well with former linebacker James Harrison. The Pittsburgh Steelers legend can’t wrap his head around Tretter’s sudden change of heart following the shady stint that made him uninterested in the very role he just took on. In his message, James also raised doubts about the move’s potential implications on the league’s future, especially with a new collective bargaining agreement looming.

“The same guy that had no interest in being the Executive Director in July of 2025!” Harrison said on X. “Yea congratulations @NFL yall will get everything yall want in the new CBA.”

JC Tretter became the union’s fifth executive director on Tuesday, just eight months after his scandal-driven resignation. His journey with the NFLPA began in 2020 when he took charge as ‌president while still playing for the Cleveland Browns. He went on to become the union’s chief strategy officer in October 2024 and remained in the role until his eventual exit in July 2025. 

Now, as executive director, he’ll be addressing executives regarding the collective bargaining agreement. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and owners such as Robert Kraft and Jerry Jones have been vocal about tweaking the campaign’s structure. They want to add an extra game to the regular season while ensuring one international game for every team.

Harrison, who already suspects Tretter’s leadership, fears the NFL may have its way against the union during these negotiations. The former Steelers’ distrust of Tretter stems from the NFLPA’s past scandals involving Lloyd Howell, who disgracefully stepped down on July 17, 2025. Multiple reports alleged Lloyd used the union’s funds for personal expenses, including “st– club visits.”

Moreover, he had questionable ties with the Carlyle Group, a firm that sought ownership stakes in the league. There were also claims that the union and the NFL agreed to hide certain arbitration findings from players. It was about ‌potential collusion on pay by team owners. Though Tretter denied his involvement, there were doubts about how much the leadership knew about these happenings.

As soon as the union started considering him for the interim role, Tretter faced firm opposition from former NFLPA leaders. It made him withdraw his name from the position and resign from the job. Interestingly, in a July 2025 interview with CBS Sports, he said he had no desire to be the executive director.

“Over the last couple of days, it has gotten, very, very hard for my family,” part of his statement reads. “And that’s something I can’t deal with. So, the short bullet points are: I have no interest in being [executive director]. I have no interest in being considered. I’ve let the executive committee know that. I’m also going to leave the NFLPA in the coming days because I don’t have anything left to give the organization.”

Meanwhile, James Harrison shared another fiery response to a report that raised questions about the union’s election process.

James Harrison doubts the NFLPA’s election process

The NFL Players Association recently issued a statement detailing JC Tretter’s appointment. They claimed the final decision followed ‌“a comprehensive, player-driven search process.” Turns out, they evaluated over 300 candidates across different fields, including football, other sports, government, labor, and executive roles. However, many believe the outcome tells a different story. 

Citing Tretter’s past comments of not wanting the role, many people wondered whether the union followed a fair and open election process. The situation has become more complicated after ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler and Don Van Natta Jr. reported growing tension inside the union before the final vote. The duo revealed that several NFLPA staffers sent an anonymous letter to the union’s general counsel.

It claimed that Tretter had a close connection to another union executive. This unnamed person had allegedly faced several human resources complaints, but hadn’t faced the music. The letter suggested his leadership could worsen what they described as an already “hostile” work environment. Moreover, journalist Pablo Torre highlighted an interesting point, suggesting the process has been limited from the get-go.

“The only ex-player applicant they deemed a finalist is the guy who helped install Jalen Reeves-Maybin [current NFLPA president].”

“I would have to agree,” James Harrison wrote on X.

The backlash over Tretter’s selection is only growing. One former representative described the situation as “feeling like a boys’ club.” They suggested that it’s favoritism by a handful of powerful people inside the union. Another questioned the NFLPA’s audacity to go through a controversial year and still arrive at such a decision. With trust fading inside and outside the NFL Players Association, the road ahead looks increasingly murky.