After going through the type of breakup that the Washington Football Team and Trent Williams went through a year ago, it’s pretty understandable for some underlying feelings to linger, and some grudges to still be held.
Williams, a multi-time Pro Bowler and arguably the best player to put on a Washington jersey over the past decade, was unceremoniously traded away from the team that drafted him, landing with the San Francisco 49ers early on a Saturday morning in April, minutes before the NFL Draft resumed. It was a deal that was a long time in the making, with Williams requesting trades after a year of holding out, all of which stemmed from a misdiagnosis of a cancerous mass that was growing on Williams’ scalp.
We don’t need to dive into the details; the TLDR is that Williams was unhappy with the medical staff in Washington, that medical staff ended up getting the can, and Williams was later traded. It’s fair to say that nobody felt great about the trade, with Washington fans feeling like they sold their LT for pennies on the dollar, while Williams lost a year in his prime. It’s understandable for anyone to feel a sense of animosity, but according to Williams, there is no grudge to be held.
“There is no ill-will towards Washington,” Williams said on the 49ers Talk podcast. “I’m actually just happy to see those guys, Just like I love those guys in this locker room, I had that same bond with those guys in that locker room for the last 10 years. I’m just happy to see those guys.”
There have been a lot of changes on Washington’s roster over the past couple of seasons, but the mainstays — Brandon Scherff, Morgan Moses, and Chase Roullier — have been there through it all, and they’re still standing right where Williams left them. It will be a reunion of sorts when the two teams meet on the field, with 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan also having a chance to see some of the players that he helped coach back in the early part of last decade. For Williams, it will also be a cool moment to see the next generation of players in a new role, playing more as veterans in Washington who he watches as much as he can.
“I watch them as much as I can,” Williams said. “Individually, I’ll watch to see how guys are coming along. I always keep a close eye on Morgan Moses, Brandon Scherff, Chase Roullier, you know, the guys who I felt I had an instrumental part in having them develop. It’s hard to look at them in any other way.”
No matter the outcome, there will be some laughs had, and respect shown between players with longstanding relationships. Everyone will want to do everything they can to win, but in the end, it will be fun to see longtime teammates bond on the field, no matter what colors they wear.
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