Trent Williams may still be open to playing for the Washington Redskins again in the future, but it sounds like it is going to take a lot of money for the team if they want to get the All-Pro offensive lineman back on the field.
Williams, who was placed on the non-football injury list last season after refusing to report, is set to earn $12.5 million in the final year of his contract in 2020. According to ESPN’s John Keim, that salary is not nearly high enough for him. Williams has informed Washington that he wants to be paid $20 million per year.
Lane Johnson gets $18 million per year from the Philadelphia Eagles, and he is the highest-paid offensive lineman in football. He’ll turn 30 in May, while Williams will be 32 before the start of next season. Does Williams really think he’s going to become the highest-paid linemen in the NFL by that wide of a margin?
Probably not. In all likelihood, Williams is making an absurd demand that he knows the Redskins won’t meet, thus further pressuring them into trading him. The team reportedly has given Williams permission to seek a trade after playing hardball with him all last year.
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. It seems likely that Williams will be playing for another team in 2020.
