Haynesworth passes test, fails to complete practice

ASHBURN, Va. — After passing the Washington Redskins’ conditioning test, Albert Haynesworth was in no shape to practice.

Haynesworth finally conquered the 300-yard shuttle runs Saturday morning and was allowed to put on the pads for the first time at training camp, ending a will-he-or-won’t-he spectacle that lasted a week and a half, made him the butt of jokes nationwide and overshadowed everything else at Redskins Park.

Coach Mike Shanahan had said Haynesworth could not practice until passing the test, and the showdown was seen as a statement of a new coach’s uncompromising authority that wouldn’t bend even for a two-time All-Pro with a $100 million contract.

“He probably doesn’t like me very much right now,” Shanahan said, “but I’m not here to be liked. I’m here to get him to play, and hopefully he’ll play at a very high level.”

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Merely passing the test took enough of a toll to keep Haynesworth from getting through a full practice. After doing some defense drills — blocking sleds, recovering fumbles, etc. — he had a huge wrap put on his persistently sore left knee midway through the session and became a spectator again during the offense-vs.-defense team drills.

The Redskins are off Sunday, and coaches say they expect Haynesworth to be able to go through a full practice Monday, working initially as a second-string nose tackle. But the knee problem, which has bothered Haynesworth for several years, isn’t going away anytime soon.

“Last year he said he was having problems every third or fourth day with the knee, so there is a problem there,” Shanahan said. “That’s why we’re going to make sure that he gets treatment.”

But set aside such concerns, a least for a day. He passed the test! A cloud was lifted over camp! He clocked 66 and 70 seconds when all he needed was 70 and 73. There was no controversial potty break, such as the 10-minute detour to the bathroom that caused him to fail on the first day of camp.

The soreness in the knee that kept him from even trying for four straight days had subsided enough to give it a go. So what if it took the focus away from Fan Appreciation Day — or former Redskins Hog Russ Grimm’s induction into the Hall of Fame — teammates were relieved not to have to answer questions about it anymore, and defensive coordinator Jim Haslett was getting sick and tired of seeing Haynesworth become a nonstop staple of the sports news cycle.

“Today’s the first day I saw him dig down deep and go get it,” Haslett said. “He was going to make that test one way or another, or him and I might have been fighting on the field today. He was going to make the test. I said ‘I’m sick of seeing you at 4 o’clock in the morning.’ I’d wake up and see his face on TV. You see him on TV all the time.”

And how did Haynesworth himself feel about all the fuss? There’s no telling. He has shunned reporters throughout training camp, and his unilluminating statement to the media Saturday lasted all of 14 seconds — one-fifth of the time it took to run the second part of his test.

“The test is over, and now it’s back to playing football,” he said. “I want to thank all the fans for coming out and still supporting me and still wearing (No.) 92 jerseys and still believing in me, so y’all have a good day.”

Although a chapter in the Haynesworth saga has been completed, the book is far from over. He is months behind in learning the team’s new 3-4 defense, a scheme he didn’t want to play. He stayed away from the team’s offseason workouts while hoping for a trade, a boycott that made him the only player required to take the conditioning test at training camp.

Asked if Haynesworth is OK with the defense now that he’s been exposed to it through nine days of meetings and watching practice, Haslett said: “He really has no say in it.”

“It doesn’t make a difference. We’re not changing it,” Haslett said. “He really just has to go along with it.”

Haslett said Haynesworth will have to learn all three positions on the defensive line. Haynesworth has particularly shunned the nose tackle position, but the offseason signing of veteran Ma’ake Kemoeatu could allow Haynesworth to play more at defensive end.

Then there’s the issue of team chemistry. Teammates openly called Haynesworth “selfish” when he skipped a mandatory minicamp in June, less than three months after getting a $21 million bonus as part of his contract.

“A lot was said, but now it’s time to play football,” defensive end Phillip Daniels said. “It’s time to move forward. He knows that. He don’t hold any grudges. We don’t hold any grudges.”

Cornerback DeAngelo Hall, speaking earlier in camp, had a different take.

“I don’t think there’s a point in coming out there trying to win those guys back,” Hall said. “I think he has to come out here and do what we need him to do to win games. I think the naive person in all of us wants everybody to be friends. Sometimes that’s not how it is. I might not ever like a guy. On the field, you might think we’re best friends.”

Notes: The test consists of a pair of 12 back-and-forth 25-yard sprints, with a 3½ minute break in between. … First-round pick LT Trent Williams practiced after being limited for one day with tightness in his hip. … WR Mike Furrey (concussion), RT Jammal Brown (hip), WR Malcolm Kelly (hamstring) and DL Howard Green (hip) remain sidelined.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Sports

Everett AquaSox infielder Colt Emerson cracks his bat as he gets a hit during the game against the Tri-City Dust Devils on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
AquaSox weekend update: Frogs throw combined no-hitter

Three AquaSox pitchers combined to throw a no-hitter in… Continue reading

The awards table with different athletic honors and trophies at the Everett Community College Athletics 2025 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Everett, Washington on June 5, 2025. (Joe Pohoryles / The Herald)
Everett CC Athletics enshrine 2025 Hall of Fame class

The late Chet Hovde, longtime women’s hoops coach, headlines the seven-member class.

Stanwood's mixed unified 400-meter relay team -- (from left to right) senior Ciara Beam, sophomore Camrie Ingram, junior Xander Krause and junior Levi Stiers -- poses with their medals and state championship trophy at the WIAA Track & Field Championships in Tacoma, Washington on May 31, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Michael Randall / Stanwood track & field)
Stanwood’s Inclusive Track Field state champions blaze trail

The program takes huge step forward for intellectually disabled athletes and their peers.

AquaSox pounded by Emeralds

The Eugene Emeralds hit the AquaSox early and often… Continue reading

Tyrese Haliburton hit a last-second shot to take down favored Oklahoma City in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. (Yong Kim / Tribune News Services)
Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton stuns Thunder to open NBA Finals

Tyrese Haliburton raced up the court, paused for a… Continue reading

Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) participates in a workout during day six of OTAs at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton on Thursday, June 5, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Edwin Hooper / Seattle Seahawks)
Revisiting Washington’s 2000 upset over mighty Miami

It’s impossible to find two power-conference college football programs farther apart geographically… Continue reading

Seahawks offensive tackle Abraham Lucas, an Archbishop Murphy High School graduate, participates in OTAs at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Rod Mar / Seattle Seahawks)
Seahawks offensive tackle Abraham Lucas talks about new season

The healthy Archbishop Murphy graduate talks about a number of topics at OTAs.

Seahawks quarterback Jalen Milroe (6) participates in a workout on day five of OTAs at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton on Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Edwin Hooper / Seattle Seahawks)
As Milroe learns, there’s no QB competition for Seahawks

There are obvious similarities between the Seattle Seahawks’ quarterback situation… Continue reading

Everett AquaSox infielder Colt Emerson gets a high-five from teammate Lazaro Montes after scoring during the game against the Tri-City Dust Devils on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lazaro Montes hits 13th homer, Frogs win

Suisbel and Montes go deep for second straight night.

Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners hits a single during the first inning against the Washington Nationals at T-Mobile Park on Thursday, May 29, 2025, in Seattle. (Stephen Brashear / Getty Images / Tribune News Services)
Cal Raleigh is blasting his way toward a historic season

When the owners of the Seattle Mariners gathered last week for a… Continue reading

Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams (5) puts up a shot over Dallas Wings forward Teaira McCowan (15) at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle on June 3, 2025. (Photo courtesy of the Seattle Storm)
Storm brew fourth-quarter run to beat Wings

SEATTLE – Gabby Williams scored 18 points, and the Seattle Storm went… Continue reading

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.