Redskins tackle Trent Williams is not expected to report to training camp this week, NFL Media's Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport report. Garafolo curiously notes "it could be quite a while before he's back with the team."
#Redskins LT Trent Williams is not expected to report to training camp with the rest of his teammates this week, sources tell me and @RapSheet. He didn't show for minicamp in June and it could be quite a while before he's back with the team.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) July 22, 2019
According to Rapoport, Williams is holding out for the same reasons reported in June, over his dissatisfaction with how Washington's medical staff handled a recent health scare, as well as his current contract.
A major storyline to watch for the #Redskins. Dissatisfaction with their handling of his medical situation and his desire for a new contract are among the reasons for one of the top players at his position. https://t.co/BgxCwHNLLF
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 22, 2019When discussing with @MikeGarafolo the expectation that #Redskins LT Trent Williams holds out, it was also important to note that Williams must be cleared to play. And considering the seriousness of his medical scare (with subsequent scalp surgeries), that is not a given.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 22, 2019Early in the offseason, Williams underwent surgery to remove a growth or tumor from his scalp which doctors feared could be malignant. Williams has since gone under the knife multiple times to cosmetically smooth over the after effects left by the initial operation.
Williams is heading into the fourth year of a five-year, $68 million contract extension he signed in Aug. 2015, and is still owed $24 million over the next two seasons.
If Williams intended to amplify his grievances, declining to appear at training camp is the best way to do it. And if a trade is what he's really after, the threat of a holdout is his strongest leverage against the Redskins.
When this story first broke in June, Redskins coach Jay Gruden acknowledged his star left tackle was "frustrated" with team doctors, although Gruden was reluctant to discuss the issue beyond that point.
There's no avoiding it now, as this will be the most pressing concern for the Redskins when camp opens on Thursday.
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