The only thing standing between Trent Williams and a reunion with the Washington Redskins appears to be money, and as some would say, it’s been that way for a while. Though there was some bad blood between the seven-time Pro-Bowler and the old regime, at the core of the dispute between the two parties has always been about cold hard cash.
So, in order to bring the veteran left tackle back to Ashburn, the Redskins will have to sign him to a new deal, as was reported by Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo earlier on Thursday. But what would that deal look like? Well, despite approaching 32 years of age and not having played in over a year, Trent Williams still desires to become the highest-paid tackle in the league, and the Redskins would have to make it so if they desire to keep him around. That means shelling out Lane Johnson money; more than $18 million per season.
Money remains the no 1 hurdle. Has been that way for a while. Skins want him around. If a new deal think top of market. So: more than Lane Johnson’s 18 per year. https://t.co/ji2TWA1i5t
— John Keim (@john_keim) February 27, 2020
That type of commitment can seem scary to some Redskins fans, and rightfully so. There is no guarantee that Williams will ever return to the type of player that he was before the litany of injuries sidelined him for over a year, and carrying that size of cap-hit makes him a liability to the team should something happen and he can’t play, assuming that much of the contract is guaranteed.
With decisions to make on Brandon Scherff and Ryan Kerrigan, the Redskins will now also choose whether or not they want to cough up this chunk of change for Williams as well. I don’t envy the decision-makers in Ashburn.
[vertical-gallery id=31001]