Washington Football Team vs. 49ers: Revenge at stake for Kyle Shanahan, Trent Williams
Revenge is at stake for two former Washington Football Team members.
The Washington Football Team is taking on the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday afternoon, and the game will feature a who’s who of former WFTers in prime roles on the 49ers roster.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan was once the offensive coordinator here. Trent Williams was a long-time star at left tackle for the team. And Jordan Reed was once one of the league’s best tight ends in Washington. Now, all three are playing for the 49ers, and there could be some revenge at stake in this contest for a couple of them.
Williams and Shanahan have denied seeking revenge against Washington. Williams indicated that he isn’t holding a grudge since the people who he clashed with amid his cancer diagnosis and holdout are no longer in Washington, per Michael Phillips of the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
More from Riggo's Rag
- Highlighting the best Commanders 2023 NFL Draft betting props
- 3 late Commanders rumors drawing buzz ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft
- 4 bold predictions for the Commanders 2023 NFL Draft
- Commanders News: Chase Young trade, draft day, CB riser and Sam Howell
- Bet365 VA Bonus Code – Claim $200 Guaranteed With Sign-Up Bonus
"“The people who helped instigate that situation are no longer part of the organization. I’m not going to sit here and carry some grudge just because people expect me to carry it.”"
As for Shanahan, he cited the respect he has for the new regime in Washington, also per Phillips.
"“I feel like I’ve gotten closure on it. I respect the hell out of Ron Rivera. I love [personnel chief] Kyle Smith and the guys that I know there. Those guys are doing a great job. I can tell they’re being led very well.”"
These accounts are sensible. There is a new regime in Washington and the new leadership is solid and significantly better than what the team had during the Bruce Allen era.
That said, even if Williams and Shanahan harbor no ill-will toward the current Washington leadership, there still has to be a little element of revenge for them.
Williams felt disrespected by how the franchise treated him during his exit. It was revealed he had cancer that he believes the team misdiagnosed. He wanted out after losing confidence in the team’s medical staff, but Bruce Allen effectively wouldn’t trade him. The team didn’t do much to remedy his issues, whether it was to grant his request, make changes to their medical staff, or come to another solution with Williams.
That wound is still fresh for Williams, so even if the primary actors responsible for what happened to him are gone, he’ll still want to beat Washington a little more than he’d want to beat another opponent. The bad blood might be gone, but it’s hard to imagine that he won’t play just a little bit harder this time around with the 49ers having a chance to damage Washington’s chances of making the playoffs.
Shanahan’s revenge factor is much older, and possibly a bit weaker, as he was with Washington during the RGIII era working under his father and WFT head coach, Mike Shanahan. Kyle could want to earn an important victory over Washington after previously going 1-1 against them as a head coach.
Even though the younger Shanahan respects the current Washington leadership, he still may harbor even just a bit of resentment of Dan Snyder for how the Shanahans’ tenure ended. That may motivate him even just a little, like Williams, to try to win and complicate Washington’s chances of making the playoffs.
As for Reed, his time in Washington ended due more to injuries than any sort of tiff with the coaching staff. He won’t be out for vengeance in the same way that Shanahan and Williams might be, but he could want to do well against his former employer and former teammates.
All told, these revenge opportunities do mean something. Even with Williams and Shanahan publicly saying that bygones are bygones, it’s hard to imagine that they’re not looking at this game as an opportunity to earn some revenge while sticking around in the playoff hunt. It’s human nature to do so.
Next. Previewing Washington vs. San Francisco in Week 14. dark
Washington will need to be ready for the 49ers’ best effort either way. Whether he’s searching for vengeance or not, Shanahan will have his men ready to play on Sunday.