Haynesworth Continues to Sit, will have MRI for Knee
The top story in the Washington Redskins training camp is how long it will take their $100 million man, defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth to begin practising with his team mates. Haynesworth has already been out of practice throughout the first week of training camp.
After reporting to the team in camp after missing off-season workouts, Coach Mike Shanahan insisted that Haynesworth had to take a conditioning test before he could practice. After failing the test twice, Haynesworth has sat out for four days with an injured knee. Besides the injury, Shanahan gave his reasons why Haynesworth has not practised yet.
"I've got all the stats in there, how many games he played where he didn't practice throughout the whole week," Shanahan said. "If you don't practice, you're not going to play well. ... My job is to make sure he can play the best once we start our season, and that's to get him in football shape. We'll make sure when he is ready to go, he can go full speed.”
Shanahan said the team is running an MRI as a precautionary measure as Haynesworth’s left knee has been bothering him all week, causing him to sit out the conditioning test.
"His knee's been a little bit sore, more sore than it has been in the past," Shanahan said. "In the past, every third or fourth day it would be a little sore, according the trainers, but now it's been a couple of days consistently sore."
Haynesworth’s knee has given him problems throughout his whole career. During his years with the Tennessee Titans, he never played a full 16 games in a season. He was also on the team’s injury report 10 out of 16 games last season.
Haynesworth is now in his second year of a seven-year $100 million contract. Haynesworth is the only player required to take the fitness test as he skipped OTA’s due to his displeasure with the team’s switch in defensive system. The coach has asserted his control over his new team.
The test consists of two timed 300 yard runs, including many 180 degree rotations in the sets. Obviously that kind of test is difficult on a bad knee, but Shanahan was not ready to exempt Haynesworth from the test.
"Well, you can't practice if your knee's not strong enough," Shanahan said. "If you can't do drills and push off it, you can't run. If you can't run, you can't play."
Haynesworth has worked with coaches looking at plays and learning the system as he watches the team practice.
"I'm just going to treat Albert the way I'm going to treat any other player," Shanahan said, "see what he can do on the practice field and get him in the best shape possible."
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