Trent Williams Says He Had Cancer For Six Years And The Washington Redskins Told Him It Was “Minor”: “There’s No Trust In The Organization”

Washington Redskins player Trent Williams says he was diagnosed with cancer, and the team failed to test him for it for six years.

On Thursday, Williams spoke out about previously having soft-tissue cancer attached to his skull. The 31-year-old said when the team’s doctor became aware of the growth on his skull, they told him it was “minor,” and he went on to play for several more seasons. His condition was Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans, a soft-tissue sarcoma that develops in the deep layers of skin.

“It was cancer, I had cancer,” Williams told reporters Thursday. “I had a tumor removed from my skull, attached to my skull. It got pretty serious for a second. I was told some scary things from the doctor. It was definitely nothing to play with. It was one of those things that changes your outlook on life.” Williams said that he first heard about the issue “five and a half” years ago during former coach Mike Shanahan’s last year with the team. Shanahan’s last season was back in 2013, and Williams started all 80 regular-season games.

“I guess somebody took the time to actually try to see what was really going on there,” Williams said. “Football was more important. And, I mean, to me it was more important, too. I was told it was something minor, so I didn’t really question it. But the lump continued to grow over the years. It was concerning, but there was no pain involved. If I’m being told by the very people who I put my career in the hands of telling me I’m fine, then I’m fine. That’s how I looked at it,” said Williams. “I got the team to finally, what I thought was a cyst, extracted,” Williams said. “When they did, I found out it wasn’t a cyst. It was a piece of a tumor.” Williams also said that doctors “underestimated” the initial diagnosis and that the condition “was far more advanced than they realized.” Williams ended up going to Chicago for treatments that included multiple surgeries to remove the growth altogether.

Williams separated himself from the team for the entire offseason program and then missed the first eight weeks of the regular season. Williams was asked if there was any way the relationship between him and the team could be repaired; his response was “there’s no trust in the organization.” 

Making sure to abide by the terms on his contract, Williams reported to the team on Tuesday, allowing him to become a free agent sooner, USA Today reports. He has just one year left on his contract. “It’s a culmination of things,” Williams said when asked why he held out. “What I went through health-wise, it took me away from the game for a minute, anyway. That and the contract status was a thing as well. Obviously, playing with no guaranteed money, I don’t think any premier player would want to do that, especially not in the game that we play today.”