The retirement rumors surrounding Rodney Hudson should propel the Arizona Cardinals to kick the tires on center J.C. Tretter.
A sigh of relief could be heard coming out of the Arizona Cardinals when quarterback Kyler Murray showed up for a mandatory minicamp in mid-June.
An offseason full of squabbling between the superstar signal-caller and the Cardinals front office failed to stop Murray from being out there with his teammates. However, one unexcused absence created plenty of headlines on its own.
The Cards and their followers would love to know what is going on in the head of center Rodney Hudson. Retirement rumors have surfaced, and the possibility exists that the club will need to find a replacement for the three-time Pro Bowler.
J.C. Tretter would be a superb alternative for the Arizona Cardinals at center
One excellent option for Arizona if Hudson calls it quits is J.C. Tretter, a veteran center who has logged nine professional seasons. The President of the NFL’s Players Association attended Cornell University and was a fourth-round draft pick of the Green Bay Packers back in 2013.
Tretter joined the Cleveland Browns as a free agent back in 2017 and became available again when the franchise sent him packing this past March.
The 6 foot 4, 307-pounder had started 80 consecutive contests at center for the Browns, so Tretter’s release came as somewhat of a surprise.
Lingering questions concerning injuries to the 31-year-old’s knee and ankle may have contributed to Cleveland’s decision.
Tretter’s practice time with the Browns had become severely limited in 2021. However, the incredibly tough offensive lineman managed to play through the pain and never missed a game in five years.
There’s little doubt that Tretter would be a better alternative at center than Justin Pugh, the Cardinals left guard who filled in at Hudson’s spot during minicamp.
Another possibility for the gig is Lecitus Smith, a rookie who was a sixth-round selection of the organization back in April.
In a perfect world, Hudson shows up for training camp next month, and all of the retirement talk simply goes away.
In the meantime, Cards fans can only hope that Tretter has a prominent position on general manager Steve Keim’s radar.