Kevin O'Connell Says Vikings Never Heard From J.C. Tretter

O'Connell says he and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah never had dialogue with Tretter.

Former Browns center J.C. Tretter, who announced his retirement on Thursday, told Sports Illustrated's Alex Prewitt that he reached out to the Vikings and several other teams this offseason and that none of them reciprocated his interest. "Minnesota never returned our call," he said.

Tretter planned on playing a 10th NFL season and had the Vikings near the top of his list of destinations. Then he couldn't find a job. One of the league's best and most durable centers over the past five seasons, Tretter believes his position as the president of the NFL Player's Association is why no team signed him. He's dealt with knee and ankle injuries that kept him from practicing for much of the last couple seasons, but he never missed a single game due to injury. Tretter told Prewitt his knee is fully ready and that no team even requested an MRI or brought him in for a physical.

Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was with Tretter in Cleveland for the past two seasons, so he knows the situation better than most. Still, it's puzzling that a team with Garrett Bradbury as its starting center would have no interest in potentially bringing in Tretter, who consistently ranked among the league's best at the position by PFF grade.

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell was asked about Tretter's comments on Thursday — specifically, whether he contacted the Vikings, whether his status as the NFLPA president factored into teams not pursuing him, and whether the Vikings did, at any point, considering bringing him in.

"That’s a tough question to answer," O'Connell said. "Because as far as I’m concerned, that’s news to me. I know Kwesi and myself have not had any dialogue with J.C. If somebody in this building did, it didn’t make it to me — or Kwesi, for that matter. Obviously, as a former player, he in a lot of ways represents me, as well, as the NFLPA president. So I have a ton of respect for him — not only in that role, but as a player, as well. I know the O-Line coach in Cleveland (Bill Callahan) pretty well, and I know he’s one of the best in this league. He’s been coached up by him, and he had a lot of really good things to say about J.C. over his time in Cleveland. Lot of respect for the player, but unfortunately I can’t really speak to that because, like I said, I’m not aware of any of those conversations. It was news to me to hear it. I did hear it, though."

Something's not adding up. If Tretter and his camp reached out to the Vikings, how could that have not made it to O'Connell or Adofo-Mensah? And if Tretter is being honest about the health of his knee and his modest salary requests, what reason other than anti-NFLPA collusion among owners is there for him to not have a job?

Even at 80 percent, Tretter would've been a major upgrade over Bradbury. What gives?

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