Major Daniel Snyder-related news dropped on Thursday.
The House of Representative Committee on Oversight and Reform released its final report into the Washington Commanders owner.
The report concluded that Snyder “permitted and participated” in a longstanding toxic work culture and obstructed a 14-month congressional inquiry by repeatedly evading a subpoena, tampering with witnesses and saying 100-plus times that he couldn’t remember answers to simple questions.
The Committee also released excerpts from the deposition of former Washington Commanders General Manager Bruce Allen, who was with the team from 2009 to 2019.
Allen revealed, when asked about an email pertaining to Trent Williams, that the team could have brought back the star tackle.
Back in January of 2019, Williams removed himself from the Pro Bowl with a then-undisclosed injury.
At the start of April, reports emerged that he was dealing with a “very serious” medical issue a few months prior and Ian Rapoport revealed it was related to a tumor on his head.
Williams did not go to minicamp and reports emerged that he was frustrated with how the team handled his injury diagnosis to the point that he wanted to be traded or released.
Eventually, the situation appeared to fracture further, with reports Williams had vowed never to play for Washington again. He did not, and the team fined him $1.9 million, per Adam Schefter.
By April of 2020, the 49ers traded for Williams, offering a 3rd- and 5th-round pick.
Here is a full timeline of the situation.
According to Allen, Washington could have prevented this. Daniel Snyder, in a typically grotesque and on-brand way, went for the nuclear option.
Per Allen’s deposition, Snyder said for the team to “fine him to the max” and not offer him anything:
“Trent did have a problem with the medical staff. He was upset at the doc for not discovering he had a medical issue, I’ll say. And he couldn’t put a helmet on to be at the minicamp, but he was holding out because he wanted a new contract from the team.
And Trent and I had a great relationship until all of this and still did during this time, especially during this time. And we could have re-signed him. He’s an elite player. He’s a great football player, great football player. And Dan said no. He said: Not one dime. Fine him the max. And that’s what we did.”
Allen’s statement makes evident that Snyder had no intention of extending Williams, who will almost certainly be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Williams, who leads the tackle position in Pro Bowl voting, is a soon-to-be 10-time Pro Bowler and was named a first-team All-Pro last season.