Just a few months ago, there was no hope left for the relationship between Trent Williams and the Washington Redskins.
It appears as if that may no longer be the case. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday the Redskins and Williams have communicated in what sounded like a positive conversation, according to sources familiar with the situation. There is still a long way to go and plenty of issues to sort out, but the Redskins have Williams in their 2020 plans and it is at least encouraging that they're communicating, Rapoport added.
This might not sound like much, but Williams was very outspoken in late 2019 about his dislike for the Redskins franchise, which has employed him for the entirety of his 10-year career. The mere fact he's open to listening to the organization is a significant change.
This effort to mend what was undoubtedly a burned bridge has been spurred by the hiring of Ron Rivera as the team's new head coach, and perhaps more importantly the firing of team president Bruce Allen. Williams was upset with the organization's handling of a health issue related to a growth on his head, which turned out to be a rare cancer called Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans, and he refused to play for the team in 2019.
Now, with Allen out of the picture and plenty of changes also made to the Redskins' training staff, it appears there could be reason for the two sides to reconcile. As Rivera said last week, "he's still our guy." We'll eventually learn whether Williams wants to be their guy, too.
