Redskins: DeAngelo Hall changes tone on Trent Williams, says return is possible

Not long after telling spectators not to expect Redskins tackle Trent Williams back any time soon, former Washington safety DeAngelo Hall is changing his tone.

The Washington Redskins situation with Trent Williams is one with many intertwined layers, and every week, it seems as though a new layer is added to the conundrum. A new piece added to the puzzle.

Less than a week ago, Redskins safety DeAngelo Hall said that there was “zero chance” Trent Williams was coming back to the Redskins within a week, in an interview with The Athletic’s Erin Hawksworth. Now, in another interview with Hawksworth, Hall is offering new information, information that steers away from his past comments.

As time has passed, the situation has changed, says Hall. If you have an Athletic subscription, I’d encourage you to listen to the entire interview, linked here. If not, you can use a free trial, or acquire a subscription. That said, here are some of the key takeaways from the podcast, which were shared by various listeners:

• Trent Williams could return ‘sooner rather than later‘
• Players need at least six games to accrue a season, so Williams could time his return with that in mind.
• Bruce Allen apparently told Williams to ‘tell him who to fire, and he would fire them’. Hall said that Williams was hesitant to disrupt anyone’s livelihood in such a manner.

Recent reports suggested that Williams’ holdout could in fact proceed without an end in sight, even into the later stages of the regular season. But now, we at least have some context to go off, in terms of what the bounds of Williams’ holdout might be.

Currently on the Did Not Report list, Williams would not receive a full season’s pay if he were to remain on that list for more than ten games. With a 2019 resume of at least six games, he can fulfill the requirement for an accrued season, and avoid this consequence.

It also appears as if the friction between Williams and the medical staff may be fading. Earlier in the offseason, there were reports that Williams would not come back unless changes were made, but now, Williams, in a quote provided by Hall, doesn’t want to take things that far. The circumstances that led to Williams’ discontent are complicated, and that may now be factoring into Williams’ status.

Whatever the case, there is at least some hope for fans itching to see No. 71 retire in burgundy and gold. According to a former team mate of Williams, the stalwart blindside protector is due to return at some point this season. When exactly, however, remains to be seen.