The situation in DC
Williams was drafted fourth overall in 2010 by Washington and has been one of the very best lineman in the NFL ever since. He’s been a Pro Bowler every year since 2012. His Pro Football Focus pass-block grade has been above 77.9 since his rookie season. In 2018, Williams had his worst season since 2010, but was still very good, grading out at 74.0 overall, 80.7 pass block, and 66.9 run block.
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He didn’t play in 2019, holding out of all team activities, going back to before mandatory minicamp. But Williams’ holdout wasn’t related to his contract; he no longer trusts the medical staff after the way the team treated a growth on his head last season. The two sides have been pitted against each other in a viscous PR battle, one that the team has been losing badly.
Williams signed a five-year $68 million contract back in 2015 that made him, at the time, the richest lineman in NFL history. He has a cap hit of $14.5 million in 2020, after which he is an unrestricted free agent.
Reports are that Williams not only wants to be traded, but he also wants a new deal that will again place him at the top of the league in terms of salary.
This is a high demand, and one that is probably unrealistic. Williams will turn 32 in July, and with his injury history, who knows how much longer he’ll be able to play at a high level? He hasn’t played since 2018, and missed three games that season. He hasn’t played a full 16 games since 2013, and missed a total of 13 from 2016-2018.
Williams was a top-tier tackle when last he played. But he’s proven to be unreliable in terms of staying healthy, and that won’t improve as he ages.