Washington Redskins left tackle Trent Williams has been suspended for four games for violating the NFL’s Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse.
Redskins OT Trent Williams is being suspended four games, per league source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 1, 2016
Washington Redskins Left Tackle Trent Williams Suspended Four Games
The Washington Redskins released the following statement:
“Today, Trent Williams was suspended by the NFL under the terms of the Policy and Program on Substances of Abuse for the next four games. We met with Trent today to discuss this unfortunate news. Per the terms of the Policy, Trent will be permitted to participate in team meetings and work out at the Redskins’ facilities throughout this time. The Redskins are counting on Trent to help our team when he returns from suspension. Our focus will now turn to the Minnesota Vikings after our bye this upcoming weekend. Any questions related to this matter should be directed to the NFL or NFLPA.”
Trent Williams has been pretty flawless so far this season. He has been the biggest star on a Redskins offensive line that has allowed quarterback Kirk Cousins to get sacked only 11 times this year. They are second to only the Oakland Raiders in that category, who have only allowed nine sacks at the end of Week 8.
The 28-year-old, four-time Pro Bowl selection currently holds the highest grade of any offensive lineman on Pro Football Focus. No other offensive lineman has a grade in the 90s except for Williams, who has a 91.5 grade. He also has the second highest run blocking grade of any offensive tackle, something the Redskins will miss, maybe more so than his pass blocking. The Redskins have struggled to run the ball effectively this season and are ranked 14th in the league in rushing yards.
Williams’s suspension starts immediately and he will be eligible to return to the team after their game against the Arizona Cardinals on December 5th. Until then, his replacement is second year pro Ty Nsekhe who has two career starts. He has spent time with the Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, and the Rams when they were in St. Louis, before signing with the Redskins in 2015. The only good news out of this is that general manager Scott McCloughan stated in August that Nsekhe, who measures at 6’8”, 335 pounds, “…would start on over half the teams in the league at left or right tackle.” The Redskins can only hope he can fill in for Trent Williams for the next four games as they continue to fight for wins in the tough NFC East.
