Pride is a dangerous thing.

It is in real life, and in sports as well.

Thank you, Cleveland pic.twitter.com/iKX5y87AOU

— JC Tretter (@JCTretter) March 15, 2022

And it’s why the Browns seem bound and determined not to bring back their former center, veteran JC Tretter, now that the man they picked to replace him, young Harris, has been lost for the season with a knee injury.

Quarterback is the most important position in team sports, and the most important relationship he has is with his center. They have to know each other well. If the exchange of the ball on the snap between them is not good, then the resulting fumble could spell disaster. Ditto if the center, who handles all the blocking calls, makes a mistake and allows a defender to race untouched into the backfield and clobber the quarterback.

Understanding all that, then, the fact the Browns are willing to compromise the safety of the quarterback – and his effectiveness – because they are too proud to re-sign Tretter, who is still a free agent, and thus admit he still has incredible value to the team, is silly, reckless and irresponsible.

The Browns already have enough problems at quarterback with the impending suspension of Deshaun Watson by the league. They can ill afford to have an issue at center as well.

Steve King

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