The football world was shocked Sunday night when the Philadelphia Eagles agreed to trade Donovan McNabb to their division rivals, the Washington Redskins in exchange for draft picks. But imagine how much greater the shock would’ve been if Albert Haynesworth had been sent to Philly.
According to Scout.com’s Adam Caplan via Twitter, the Redskins initially offered Haynesworth, whom they signed to a record seven-year deal last winter. Redskins owner Daniel Snyder guaranteed $41 million to the defensive lineman over the first three years, and his contract could skyrocket to a maximum value of $115 million. It was the most lucrative contract ever given to a player.
But the 28-year-old Haynesworth had been known as an underachiever in Tennessee, before his mammoth 2008 campaign. After averaging less than four sacks per season over the previous three, Haynesworth notched 8 1/2 sacks that year, and at 6-foot-6, 350 pounds, he was also an elite run stuffer.
Unfortunately, Haynesworth did not maintain that level of performance in his first season in the nation’s capital and he grew increasingly frustrated with the Redskins’ coaching staff as the 4-12 season dragged on. In late December, Haynesworth told the Washington Post that he could be one-and-done with the Redskins.
“If they keep this system the way it is, then they would label Albert Haynesworth a bust who didn't live up to the contract," Haynesworth said. "Everybody would say he just took the money and ran off. And I'm still playing as hard as I possibly can. But you can only do so much within the system that's put around you.”
Haynesworth was particularly disgruntled with the scheme implemented by defensive coordinator Greg Blache, who retired after last season and was replaced by Jim Haslett. The Redskins also underwent a coaching change, bringing in Mike Shanahan to replace Jim Zorn.
But based on the Redskins’ willingness to part with Haynesworth, it appears that a rift still exists between the organization and player despite the coaching changes.
Haynesworth logged just four sacks last season and made only 37 tackles, his lowest output since the 2006 season. Despite these numbers, the Redskins’ sack total rose from just 24 in 2008 to a more respectable 40 in 2009. But it was players like rookie linebacker Brian Orakpo (who piled up a team-high 11 sacks) who enjoyed flashy numbers under this scheme, while Haynesworth’s efforts often went unnoticed.
That may have caused Haynesworth to crack under the pressure of his blockbuster contract. And it remains to be seen whether a change of scenery will be necessary for him to regain his disruptive prowess.
