Former Cleveland Browns center and current NFLPA president JC Tretter has announced his decision to retire from football. The 31-year-old shared a statement on Twitter in which he revealed that he'd be going out on his own terms. Tretter was released by the Browns this offseason in a move that saved the team a bit over $8 million. He's struggled to find a new landing spot in free agency, which could have played a role in his decision to call it quits.

The decision for Tretter to retire comes amid speculation that he was getting blackballed by NFL owners due to his stance on player safety. As president of the NFLPA, Tretter has been one of the most vocal figures promoting safety for NFL players. Some people, including ex-Browns teammate Joel Bitonio, believe that has diminished Tretter's chances of signing with a new team in free agency after getting cut by Cleveland earlier in the offseason.

Via Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot, Bitonio said it “seems a little suspicious” that Tretter wasn't signed in free agency, despite having consistently been a top center in the league throughout his tenure in Cleveland.

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Despite retiring as a player, Tretter plans to continue on in his role as NFLPA president until his term expires in 18 months. As Tretter indicated in his statement, he plans to “double down” on his work as the president of the players association, hoping to continue his fight for improved player safety.

JC Tretter was a fourth-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers out of Cornell. He played in Green Bay from 2014-16, before joining the Browns in 2017, where he'd spend the next five years.