All of you remember Albert Haynesworth, the former Tennessee Titans defensive lineman who signed a $100 million dollar contract with the Washington Redskins last year. Coming into this season the Redskins hired a new head coach in Mike Shanahan after Jim Zorn was shown the door, and Shanahan immediately announce they were converting to a 3 – 4 defense. The problem is that Albert Haynesworth has always played in a 4 – 3 defense, and the responsibilities in both those schemes are very different. Haynesworth from the start seemed to scoff at the idea of playing in the 3 – 4 defense, and the primary reason is a nose tackle in the 3 – 4 just eats up double teams all game. While in the 4 – 3 you can be active and make tackles because of more one on one match ups, and moving to a mode where you are just holding your ground taking up space
is not fun.
The season long drama between Haynesworth and Shanahan came to a head this past week when Shanahan de-activated him for their game against the Giants. Then after the game the team suspended Haynesworth for four games which is effectively the rest of the season, and makes it highly unlikely that he will every play for the Washington Redskins again. Haynesworth of course plans to appeal the suspension because it is without pay, and for the stated reason of “conduct detrimental to the team”. Several players on the Redskins have started to call Haynesworth out publicly because of his refusal to buy into the concepts put forward by the coaching staff on defense.
This situation was a train wreck even before the ink was dry on the contract, first Haynesworth and the Redskins were talking before his season was even finished with the Titans. Although it was never proven, it was obvious considering the fact that Haynesworth signed on the second day of free agency with no hiccups in negotiations. The Redskins set the market for his services and over paid for him like they have the tendency to do from time to time (see Adam Archuleta). Then they make the situation worse by hiring a new coach and installing a new defensive scheme and asking your defensive superstar to conform to it. Typically you take your strongest player and design the defense around his skills and abilities, which is what the Titans did when they made Haynesworth so dominant in the first place.
Then Mike Shanahan starts with the public embarrassments by giving him a fitness test he was forced to pass, and the thing became a spectacle. Then seemingly each week Haynesworth and Shanahan played a chess game to see who would give in to the other first, and in the end it seems to 
be a draw. Haynesworth wants to be released, but the Redskins are looking to get something in return by way of a trade. Shanahan handled this situation horribly, and Haynesworth was definitely a malcontent with his behavior. It seems neither party ever sat down and had a serious discussion about how to best maximize the talents of the player and accomplish the goals the coach sets forth.
All of the media coverage following the situation seem to paint Haynesworth as the villain and gives a pass to Mike Shanahan, but the coach is just as much to blame here. We have already seen how Shanahan handles players (Donovan McNabb), and he seems to make no effort to meet a player in the middle or even communicate directly. Everything seems to be done in the media, or through some action with a veiled message where he makes sure the player knows he is being singled out. It seems Shanahan has communication issues, and that is the number one thing that can ruin any relationship. We will see where Haynesworth ends up, but it’s a sure bet that the Redskins are not going to get much for him at this point.
