Why Adrian Peterson didn’t like the Trent Williams trade
Adrian Peterson was not a fan of the Redskins decision to trade Trent Williams.
The Washington Redskins made an important roster move this offseason when they traded away long-time starting left tackle Trent Williams.
Williams, a first-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, was sent to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a 2020 fifth-round pick and a 2021 third-round selection. Williams hadn’t played for the Redskins since 2018 amid a holdout related to issues with his contract as well as problems with the team’s medical staff and Bruce Allen.
After Allen’s departure, there was some hope that Williams could return to the team. But after he and Ron Rivera failed to reach a resolution, he was traded away.
While most were okay with the end result of the trade, Adrian Peterson isn’t among them. The Redskins’ veteran running back said recently that he didn’t like the team’s decision to trade Williams away, per ESPN’s John Keim.
Peterson on the Trent Williams trade: “I didn’t like the trade. Trent is the best offensive lineman in the game. I was hoping there would be a good ending.”
— John Keim (@john_keim) May 21, 2020
Peterson and Williams have a close friendship, so it’s not a surprise to see that Peterson wanted Williams to stick around. But at the same time, it was never going to happen.
The relationship between Williams and the Redskins had simply run its course. And while the ‘Skins didn’t get particularly good value in exchange for Williams, that is less the fault of Ron Rivera and Kyle Smith and more the fault of Bruce Allen. The now-departed Redskins president refused to trade him before the 2019 season or trade deadline when Williams would’ve held more value. So, the team had to sell low on him as a result.
Nobody will argue Peterson’s point about the fact that the Redskins are going to miss Williams on the field. Or the fact that they should’ve gotten more in exchange for his services. The relationship just couldn’t be mended. So, it was time for both sides to move on.
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Williams will now try to strengthen the San Francisco 49ers’ offense by replacing long-time starting left tackle Joe Staley. The Redskins, meanwhile, will have to hope that either Cornelius Lucas, rookie Saahdiq Charles, or former third-round pick Geron Christian can step up to replace Williams. If not, left tackle may well be their biggest need of the 2021 offseason.