Getty Trent Williams.
It’s Antonio Brown with the Oakland Raiders all over again. Only this time, it’s happening with the Washington Redskins.
Disgruntled offensive lineman Trent Williams ended his season-long holdout with the Redskins on Tuesday shortly after the trade deadline passed without a deal made. In doing so, Williams made it so he would only be under team control for one more season.
But he isn’t making his return an easy one. Williams did not pass his physical with the Redskins this week and was therefore absent from the team’s Wednesday practice session. His reasoning isn’t original: when putting on a helmet, Williams reported feeling discomfort, thus failing his physical. Interim coach Bill Callahan made the announcement on Wednesday about Williams.
The Redskins left tackle, who is a perennial Pro Bowler, was the subject of many trade rumors and for good reason. Williams has allowed only one sack in his last 31 games dating back to the start of 2017 and is known to be one of the league’s best run-blocking offensive lineman.
His holdout stems from how the team handled his recent medical situation in which he had a benign growth removed from his head. Perhaps the discomfort stems from this or maybe it’s Williams’ way of being coy.
Rumor Mill Ran Dry
Trent Williams was the hottest commodity on the market during the reason NFL trade frenzy but ultimately wound up staying in Washington. The Redskins may have been looking to flip the offensive lineman but the asking price was a little high for some teams.
Cleveland was considered the favorite to land Williams after benching its starting left tackle Greg Robinson for their 27-13 loss at New England. But the Redskins reportedly sought former fourth-overall draft pick Denzel Ward in a potential deal with the Browns.
The Patriots were also involved in speculation over Williams, but ultimately made no deals on deadline day. New England gave up a second-round pick for Mohamed Sanu a week prior to the deadline and was unlikely to sacrifice another high draft pick in a trade for Williams. New England also got good news with starting left tackle Isaiah Wynn’s return to practice on Wednesday.
What Next for Williams and Washington?
Williams remains at odds with Washington over the treatment he’s received during the last few months. By holding out, however, Williams lost a hefty amount of money in the process.
The Washington Post reported Williams had owed the Redskins nearly $1.2 million in fines just for missing training camp along with an additional $750,000 for a prorated bonus. That was the total in early September, and with calendar set to turn to November the Redskins’ lineman could be out some serious dough.
For now, the Redskins have been given a roster exemption by the NFL while they look to work things out with Williams. Washington has a bye week after their game on Sunday against Buffalo but may need to make a decision coming off the bye if they want to keep Williams or release him.
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