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Trent Williams has reached his breaking point with the Washington Redskins. In the last year or so, the Pro Bowl left tackle has gone from a franchise icon to its most disgruntled employee. Williams has long sought a new deal that pays him NFL quarterback money. Of course, Dan Snyder and the Redskins have refused to meet Williams’ contract demands.

The situation has quickly deteriorated over the past year or so to the point that Williams sat out the entire 2019 season. Washington’s blindside protector lost trust in the team’s medical staff, and the relationship has soured ever since. On Tuesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted out a statement from Vince Taylor, Williams’ agent, demanding a resolution from the Redskins. And if Snyder and new head coach Ron Rivera don’t trade or release the perennial Pro Bowler, it could get uglier in the nation’s capital.

Trent Williams has been one of the NFL’s premier left tackles

The fourth overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft, Williams entered the league as a physical freak with tremendous upside. The former Oklahoma star wasted no time establishing a reputation as a mauling presence in the run game. Williams started 13 games a rookie for a 6-10 team that finished just 25th in scoring. However, the Redskins improved tremendously in 2012 thanks to rookie sensation Robert Griffin III. Of course, RG III shredded his knee and never recaptured his first-year success.

Meanwhile, Williams developed into arguably the best left tackle in the NFL. He earned his first of seven straight Pro Bowl selections in Griffin’s rookie campaign. However, Williams also served two separate suspensions for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy. He also suffered several injuries and hasn’t played a 16-game season since 2013.

Williams sat out the 2019 season due to medical disputes with Redskins

After the 2018 season in which the Redskins went 7-9, Williams and the Redskins began their downhill slide. Last April, the veteran left tackle had to undergo a surgical procedure to remove a cancerous growth from his head. Controversy ensued, as Williams claimed that the team’s medical staff originally discovered the growth in 2013 but told him it was not serious. As a result, Williams skipped mandatory mini-camps and demanded a trade or release due to his dissatisfaction with the medical staff. On July 27, the team placed Williams on the reserve/did not report list.

Eventually, the team reinstated Williams in late October. But after Williams failed his physical, the Redskins placed him on the non-football injury list. Despite ample interest from teams around the NFL, the Redskins did not move Williams at the trade deadline and he has been left in a staredown with the team ever since.

Trent Williams’ agent demands resolution from Redskins

Earlier this month, it appeared Rivera and Williams may have been able to resolve the relationship. Ultimately, that proved to be wishful thinking. The Redskins made it known that Williams could seek a trade to another organization. But by the end of the first wave of free agency, Washington still held on to the prized left tackle.

On Tuesday, Schefter released a statement from Williams’ agent that outlined irreconcilable differences between his client and the organization that drafted him a decade ago. According to Taylor, “The Redskins have shown no interest in negotiating in good faith, and, in fact, have given inconsistent demands on what it wants in return for a trade.”

There have been a number of teams with reported interest in trading for the seven-time Pro Bowler, including the Cleveland Browns. In fact, former Browns GM John Dorsey reportedly made several calls to the Redskins last season trying to work out a trade.

Taylor’s concluding statement challenged the team to meet Williams’ demands:

“Although Trent Williams will always love and respect Dan Snyder, his teammates, and the Washington Redskins’ fans, he wants to be traded or released. It’s time for the organization to act in a manner that is both Williams’ and the team’s best interest.”

With the 2020 NFL draft around the corner, perhaps the Redskins will acquiesce and acquire precious draft picks for their longest-tenured player. If not, Williams could be in for another long, unhappy offseason.

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Sportscasting NFL Writer

Stephen Sheehan

Stephen Sheehan began his sportswriting career as a high school student covering sports for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel through a student outreach program. He wrote for Bleacher Report and Fan Rag Sports and worked full-time for Sportscasting in 2020 and 2021. Stephen specializes in covering the NFL, particularly the New England Patriots.

Stephen is inspired by the stories sports can tell, from money to tragedies to breaking news; there are so many different ways to cover the industry. He monitors Twitter and various websites every day to find stories to tell in unique ways.

Stephen was a 2008 Culpepper Journalism Foundation Fellowship winner, received a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2013 and a master’s in sports management in 2015 from the University of Florida, and is an active rugby player and former rugby and football coach.