Trent Williams was the cornerstone left tackle for the Washington Football Team for nine uninterrupted seasons. Then, the relationship between player and franchise soured ahead of the 2019 season, leading to a one-year standoff that ended with the disgruntled Williams being traded to the San Francisco 49ers in April.
For the first time in his NFL career, Williams will line up against Washington, the team that drafted him fourth overall in 2010.
As messy as the divorce played out publicly, Williams stressed he holds no grudges against the organization.
âI wonât sit here and hold grudges for no reason,â Williams said, via ESPN.com. âThe people I had an issue with, theyâre not there. The people who helped instigate the situation are no longer a part of the organization.”
Williams is referencing former longtime team president Bruce Allen and former team head trainer Larry Hess. Washington fired both Allen and Hess following the 2019 season as part of a organizational overhaul this past offseason.
“I ain’t leave with any animosity towards anybody or even the organization,” Williams added. “I still watch the Football Team every chance I get. Those guys on the team, I really care about them and want to see them do well.”
Williams’s issues with Allen and Hess stemmed over the misdiagnosis of growth on his scalp that developed during the 2018 season but later diagnosed by another doctor as cancer. He underwent multiple surgeries to remove the cancerous growth during the 2019 offseason.
Williams then held out of training camp, demanding a trade in which Allen refused to grant his request. The holdout lasted into the 2019 season until Oct. 29. However, Williams failed his team physical after experiencing discomfort trying on a helmet.
Washington placed him on the non-football injury list, effectively ending his season. The bridges were burned seemingly at that moment.
Following the dismissals of Allen and Hess, the team tried to smooth things over with Williams through new head coach Ron Rivera, but to no avail. Williams agent, Vincent Taylor, publicly demanded a trade or release while accusing the team of not acting in good faith.
Ultimately on the third day of the NFL draft, Williams got his wish. After a proposed trade to Minnesota fell through, Washington traded him to the 49ers for a 2020 fifth-round pick and 2021 third-round pick.
