Cleveland Browns: J.C. Tretter should receive more recognition
By Dan Justik
Cleveland Browns center J.C. Tretter has been performing at a high level all season despite dealing with injuries for most of the season.
The Cleveland Browns offensive line has been one of the biggest transformations since Freddie Kitchens took over as the team’s offensive coordinator during Week 9 of the season.
The offensive line has done a much better job of keeping the pocket clean for quarterback Baker Mayfield, and the passing offense has improved since.
During the entire season, the interior of the Browns offensive line has been consistently good, with Joel Bitonio and Kevin Zeitler grading as two of the best guards in the league.
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Between both of them is center J.C. Tretter, who is also having a good season. Pro Football Focus has graded Tretter as the ninth best center in the league this season. The best part of his game has been his pass blocking, with Pro Football Focus grading him as the sixth best pass blocking center in the NFL.
The most impressive part about Tretter’s season is how well he is playing despite playing with an injury for most of the season. During the Browns Week 6 loss to the Chargers, Tretter suffered a high ankle sprain. He has been hobbled ever since the injury.
However, the 27-year-old center has not missed a snap since the injury. In fact, he has played all 963 offensive snaps for the Browns this season – according to Pro Football Reference.
Since the injury, Tretter has only practiced as a limited participant, mostly practicing one day a week. The only time he has practiced more than once since the injury was during the lead up to the Browns Week 14 game against the Panthers.
There have been instances during games that Tretter is in obvious pain, as he has been seen limping off the field on multiple occasions. However, he returns to the field every time and plays at a high level.
His performance may have dipped over the past couple of weeks, but he is still playing at a level that has made it difficult for defenders to get into the backfield.
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Without Tretter, who knows if the Browns offensive line will have been able to keep the pressure off Mayfield over the past couple of weeks. But Tretter deserves a lot of credit for his performance despite dealing with this injury for most of the season.
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