Trent Williams has been looking for either a significant raise or a trade from the Washington Redskins, and the All-Pro offensive lineman is fed up with the way the team is handling the situation.
Williams issued a statement through his agent, Vincent Taylor, on Tuesday unloading on the Redskins. Taylor said there are “irreconcilable differences” between Williams and the team, but Washington has continued to show “no interest in negotiating in good faith.” The Redskins gave Williams permission to seek a trade earlier this month, but Taylor says the team has not made a legitimate effort to trade the 31-year-old despite Williams’ camp finding teams that are interested.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media notes that the issue with Williams has been that he is commanding top dollar with a contract extension, but teams are not willing to offer trade compensation that is consistent with a player who wants to be paid like Williams.
Williams has reportedly asked Washington for an absurd amount of money, but that does not mean he expects another team to pay him that. He is almost certainly just making financial demands that he knows the Redskins won’t meet, thus making them more likely to move on from him.
There was some optimism that Williams may be open to playing for Washington under new head coach Ron Rivera, but the issues he had with the team’s medical staff are not going to just disappear. Another lengthy holdout could be coming if the Redskins refuse to trade or release Williams.
More must-reads: