Oct 31, 2019

  • John KeimESPN Staff Writer

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    • Covered the Redskins for the Washington Examiner and other media outlets since 1994
    • Authored or co-authored three books on the Redskins and ane on the Cleveland Browns

ASHBURN, Va. -- Washington Redskins Pro Bowl tackle Trent Williams says he no longer trusts the organisation and felt they were vindictive in how they waited until the last infinitesimal to endeavour to trade him. He besides remains upset over how long he said information technology took them to take care of a malignant growth on his scalp.

Williams, who ended his holdout Tuesday, spoke publicly for the first time since the end of last season. He held little dorsum.

"There's no trust at that place," Williams said. "In that location are some things that happened that are hard to expect by."

Williams said he held out because he was upset with the medical staff, though he didn't name anyone in item, and considering the Redskins wouldn't give him more guaranteed money in the last 2 years of his contract. It expires later the 2020 flavor. He also wouldn't say whether he'd play for the Redskins this season. He returned considering if he hadn't washed so by 4 p.m. Tuesday, he would need the team to utilize to the commissioner's role for his reinstatement. That could have prevented him from getting credit for a year played.

It wasn't until he had a cancer scare that he wanted to finish his human relationship with the organization. Williams said he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP). Williams said doctors told him the growth was removed just weeks before information technology would take reached his skull. And, he said, doctors told him to become his affairs in order. Williams said when he said goodbye to his daughters -- ages 9 and five -- earlier surgery he did not know if they'd see him again.

"It was cancer. I had a tumor removed from my skull -- attached to my skull -- it got pretty serious for a second," Williams said. "I was told some scary things from the doctors. It was definitely nothing to play with. Information technology was one of those things that will change your outlook on life."

Williams said he first asked the Redskins' medical staff almost the growth on his head six years ago, but he said nothing was done until this offseason. The Redskins, over the past several months, have offered a different version, and sources said they prodded him to seek more medical attention.

In a statement released Thursday evening, the Redskins said they've requested that the NFL'due south Management Council and NFLPA review the medical records and the medical intendance given to Williams.

"Nosotros have requested this review under the NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement that provides for an independent tertiary political party review of whatsoever NFL actor's medical care," the statement read. "The Redskins go on to prioritize the health and well-being of our players and staff. Due to healthcare and privacy regulations, we are unable to comment farther at this fourth dimension."

Williams asserts that he was told the lump was "something small."

"I mean, the lump continued to grow over the years. Information technology was apropos, only there was no pain involved, and if I'k being told by the very people I put my career in the hands of, people are telling me I'm fine, I'm fine," he said. "That'due south how I looked at it."

After his 18-infinitesimal interview session with reporters at his locker, Williams said he fifty-fifty told doctors to remove the growth during previous surgeries on his knee and his pollex.

But it wasn't until this offseason when Redskins doctors examined him and told him to go to a specialist.

"They kind of underestimated it, and it was far more advanced than they realized, and I don't call up they realized how long it was there," Williams said.

From there, he flew on owner Dan Snyder'due south airplane to Chicago for further examination. That'southward where he had the surgery in the winter. Williams said he needed 350 stitches and 75 staples on his head; the diameter of the incision was about that of a softball.

"We literally caught it within weeks of metastasizing through to my brain to my skull," Williams said. "Extracting it was the simply thing they could do. Doing radiology on it would have put a cap on my life. I retrieve xv years was the most I would have had afterwards I started chemo. So I had to cut information technology out."

All of the emotion from this offseason rushed dorsum to Williams when he walked into the building Tuesday and had to get a physical from a staff he no longer trusted. During his media session, Williams constantly shook his correct leg equally he sat on a stool in front of his locker.

"Information technology was a lot of emotions. I'thousand not going to lie and say it wasn't," he said. "I virtually lost my life. Seriously, I almost lost my life. Yous're thirty and coming off 7 straight Pro Bowls and a doc tells you to go your diplomacy in social club, information technology'due south not going to sit well with you. Information technology still doesn't. It still, even thinking about it, it'southward a scary thing to get through. Think how you describe to your 9-year-onetime, your 5-year-old that daddy might non be hither. Information technology's tough."

He had ii subsequent cosmetic procedures done in the spring.

Williams' scalp remains sensitive from the surgery; he said it caused him discomfort when he put on a helmet. Because of that, he failed his physical. Redskins acting coach Bill Callahan said they're trying to have a helmet customized for Williams. However, Williams did not say he would play once more for Washington.

Williams said he told the team before their June minicamp that he no longer wanted to play for them. But the Redskins told teams the toll tag to obtain Williams was high, and they did not try to aggressively shop him until earlier Tuesday'due south four p.one thousand. deadline.

"I mean, when y'all give them 48 hours to strike a bargain it probably isn't going to happen," he said. "I just felt like that was done to embarrass me, endeavor to brand it feel like, 'Ain't nobody want you; you're not good enough for us to trade for.' I felt like that was the play more so than to get me moved."

Williams said no team official visited him at the hospital during his two weeks in Chicago, but onetime teammate DeAngelo Hall did.

A team source said head able-bodied trainer Larry Hess spent at least a calendar week with Williams in Chicago. The source too said multiple team officials called Williams during this time and after he was released but those calls weren't returned.

Williams said he wanted guaranteed money in the final 2 years of his contract. The terminal two years of his contract did not include guaranteed money, including next twelvemonth's base of operations salary of $12.5 1000000. The Redskins have long said privately that this situation was about money, and they did not desire to requite him an extension, fearing a bad precedent. Simply Williams said he just wanted to be taken care of, specially later seeing quarterback Alex Smith endure a possible career-ending leg injury last flavour.

"I've represented this franchise in the Pro Basin the terminal seven years. To me, I would think that would be good for something," Williams said.

When last season ended, Williams said he did non envision this day.

"No, no, never. We had conversation or so virtually the guaranteed money or lack thereof, just it was never me thinking I'd be in any other organization, non in December, not at all," he said.

Williams said he does non harbor whatsoever ill will toward Snyder, adding he has a "ton of respect for Dan. I love him to death. I don't look at it being his fault." That's why he didn't want to speak publicly during his holdout, fearing his words would make Snyder look bad and exist taken out of context.

Simply when asked if his relationship with team president Bruce Allen could be repaired, Williams said simply, "Side by side question." Williams said he did non think the Redskins were vindictive in the beginning.

"I think it turned that way," he said. "It became a power struggle. It became, 'No we're not going to fold for you as a player,' because that would get in seem to every other player that'southward how they become business done. I get that role of it. But I do think information technology did plough that style over time."

Nor did Williams call back about retiring in the offseason.

"I all the same honey it. It's nevertheless the game. I'm here," he said. "But I but feel like things could've gotten handled a lot better. Patently, information technology got us to this signal."