Trent Williams may not be able to finish season due to knee injury

Trent Williams is dealing with a knee injury that has left him hobbled in recent weeks. The Washington Redskins left tackle may not finish the season as a result.

Sunday’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys was a sobering one for the Redskins. Because of the injuries that the team had suffered on both sides of the ball, it was never likely that they would be able to win. But the offense was far worse than expected. The defense actually kept the team in the contest. The Redskins gave the fans hope, leading 13-7 with a chance to extend the lead, before everything went downhill.

Part of the problem that the Redskins were dealing with was the injuries that their offensive line had suffered. Three of their starters were forced to miss the game, and among them was Trent Williams. The starting left tackle was dealing with a knee injury and he needed to take a week off in order to let it heal. Williams was definitely missed, but there’s a chance that he could be out longer in the future.

Per ESPN’s John Keim, there’s a small chance that Williams might not finish the season. Williams said the following of his status to confirm that speculation.

"I’ve been dealing with it and it just hasn’t gotten any better. It’s progressively gotten worse. I’m essentially where I started a month later, so if it continues down that road I’m probably not going to be available for my team for a long time."

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It would be awful for the Redskins to be without Williams, but at the same time, they need to protect the long term health of their star lineman.

Williams is arguably the best left tackle in the NFL and is probably the best offensive player on the Redskins. He provides excellent pass protection and has also blasted open running lanes for the team’s running backs. He has helped in the screen game as well thanks to his athletic ability.

Winning without Williams would be very hard to do for the Redskins. Granted, they have one of the best reserve left tackles in the league in Ty Nsekhe, but he has been dealing with a core muscle injury that has kept him out for most of the season. Nsekhe could start in place of Williams if he goes down, but he may not be 100 percent either. That would leave the extremely raw T.J. Clemmings to start for the team. As we saw on Sunday, he is not ready for that role quite yet.

At the same time, it would behoove the Redskins to have Williams do the surgery as soon as possible. The timetable for recovery from the bone bruise and ligament damage that Williams has suffered is 6-to-9 months. If he got the surgery after the season, it could mean that he might not be ready for the start of the 2018 season. At this point, the 2018 season is looking to be more important as the Redskins are going to have a very tough time making the playoffs.

Williams and the Skins will have to make a decision soon. If surgery is inevitable, getting it now would ensure Williams would be ready for the start of next season, barring any setbacks. They would get him fully healthy and fully effective, unlike he is playing right now.

Next: Redskins Breakdown for Week 8 vs. Cowboys

At this point, a hurt Williams isn’t going to help the Redskins make the postseason. So, he should get the surgery and hope to help them push for the playoffs next season.

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