ASHBURN – Albert Haynesworth is returning to Tennessee. Earlier this year, that sentence probably would have caused celebration. It would have meant a trade back to the team that used him the way he liked, treated him the way he liked and was in the same state where he played college football.
The Titans did everything but deliver a huge contract.
And that’s why the defensive lineman now returns with the Redskins, the team that hasn’t always used him the way he would like. Not that he’s dwelling on what happened in the past.
“I still think about the good old days and stuff like that, but you’ve got to move forward,” he said. “This is a good experience for me.”
Well, it has been an experience, that’s for sure. Haynesworth, who received $41 million in guaranteed money as part of his seven-year, $100 million deal, made it clear at the time that he didn’t want to play in a 3-4 defense, which, at the time, wasn’t an issue in Washington. Still, he wasn’t always happy with how he was used last season.
Then the Redskins changed coaching staffs and went to a 3-4. He requested a trade, and for a time Tennessee was a possible partner.
“Do they wish they still had me? Yeah,” Haynesworth said. “Sometimes I wish I was still back there because I feel like I could still be dominant. People think I’m not playing as good as I can, but all of it ain’t about the player. Sometimes it’s the scheme, but we’re getting back to it. They’re letting me play, so you’re seeing more production.”
In the last three games he has played, Haynesworth has a combined eight tackles and two sacks in the nickel and dime packages. He has been more disruptive, and his old team says he can still be a dominant player.
“He is when he is on the field, yeah,” Titans coach Jeff Fisher said. “When he plays, he is real impressive to watch.”
The funny thing is — after all the issues he endured in the offseason and training camp — Haynesworth said he feels more appreciated this year than last.
“I felt like I was just a showpiece to take up blocks and help my teammates,” he said. “In Tennessee they would move me around and do a lot of different things so I could make plays.”
He was named All-Pro twice with the Titans and was the NFL’s defensive player of the year.
“He would come to work full of jokes and hanging with the guys,” Tennessee linebacker Stephen Tulloch said. “We always had a good vibe from Albert, never had a problem with him at all, just a guy you could rely on.”
Haynesworth now says he has five more years left on his contract and that he would be content filling this role if that’s what the Redskins want. He also said there’s a misperception about him.
“People probably don’t think I care about the Redskins,” he said. “That’s not true. I have a lot of great friends on this team, and we do a lot of great things together. As far as thinking that just because I got paid that I’m not going to play, that’s not true either. I always said if you just put me in the right situation, I’ll be prosperous.”
