Albert Haynesworth

Considered "potentially a brutal run-stopper" by The New York Times,[13] Haynesworth was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the first round with the 15th overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft.[14] He was the fourth defensive tackle selected from a draft class considered to be loaded with talented defensive linemen.[15] At Tennessee's Pro Day in 2002, when he was 20 years old, Haynesworth measured at 6-feet-6 and 317 pounds, ran a 4.82 40-yard dash, and had a 39-inch vertical jump and a 9-foot, 7-inch broad jump.[16] He did not work out at the 2002 NFL Combine.[17]

Haynesworth made his NFL debut in the Titans' 2002 regular season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles and had two tackles.[18] He made his first NFL start in Week 15 against the New England Patriots. He finished his rookie season with 16 appearances and three starts. He had one sack, 30 total tackles, and three passes defended.[19] He started in the Titans' two postseason games that year.[20][21]

An incident foreshadowing future incidents with Haynesworth occurred at a Titans training camp in 2003, where Haynesworth kicked his former teammate, center Justin Hartwig, in the chest, then had to be restrained by other teammates.[22]

In the 2003 season, Haynesworth had 2.5 sacks, 32 total tackles, four passes defended, and two fumble recoveries in 12 games and 11 starts in the regular season.[23] He started the Titans' two playoff games and recorded one sack and five total tackles.[24][25]

In the 2004 season, Haynesworth appeared in and started ten games. He finished with one sack, 37 total tackles, three passes defended, and two forced fumbles.[26]

In the 2005 season, Haynesworth appeared in and started 14 games. He finished with three sacks, 52 total tackles, one pass defended, and one forced fumble.[27]

On October 1, 2006, in the third quarter of a game against the Dallas Cowboys, Cowboys running back Julius Jones scored on a rushing play.[28] During the play, Cowboys center Andre Gurode fell to the ground, and his helmet was removed by Haynesworth, who then attempted to stomp on Gurode's head, but missed. A second stomp opened a severe wound on Gurode's forehead, narrowly missing his right eye.[29]

Referee Jerome Boger assessed Haynesworth a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, to which Haynesworth protested by taking off his helmet and throwing it into the turf; Haynesworth was then assessed an additional 15-yard penalty and ejected.[30]

Gurode later received 30 stitches just above and below his right eye.[31] After the game, Titans head coach Jeff Fisher apologized on behalf of the Titans organization to Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells. After the game, Haynesworth apologized,[32] saying "What I did out there was disgusting. It doesn't matter what the league does to me. The way I feel right now, you just can't describe it." Gurode later said that he would not seek criminal charges against Haynesworth. He continued to experience headaches and blurred vision for several days following the incident.[33]

Video evidence of the play shows Haynesworth bend down towards Gurode prior to his helmet being off and prior to the stomps. Because the view is partially blocked by other players it is unclear whether Haynesworth manually removes the helmet. Therefore, most media outlets reported simply that Gurode's helmet was off. However, hometown columnist Mickey Spagnola of DallasCowboys.com argued that Haynesworth pulled off Gurode's helmet.[34]

On October 2, 2006, Haynesworth was suspended for five games without pay by the NFL. The suspension was only the second multi-game suspension in NFL history for an on-the-field incident, more than twice as long as the previous longest suspension, given in 1986 by then-commissioner Pete Rozelle to Green Bay nose tackle Charles Martin for body-slamming Bears quarterback Jim McMahon.[35] Based on his 2006 base salary of $646,251, Haynesworth forfeited more than $190,000 in salary.[35] Roger Goodell, who had recently become NFL's commissioner in the past month, stated that there was "absolutely no place in the game, or anywhere else" for Haynesworth's behavior. However, ESPN's Mark Schlereth, a 12-year NFL veteran, felt that Haynesworth should have been suspended for the rest of the season.[36] Haynesworth's suspension was the longest for an in-game incident in NFL history until it was surpassed by Vontaze Burfict, who was suspended 12 games plus the 2019 playoffs for repeated violations of helmet hit rules.[37]

The NFL Players Association initially planned to appeal the suspension, calling it too severe. However, Haynesworth said on October 3 that he would not appeal, after personally apologizing to Gurode on the same day.[38] In a press conference on October 5, Haynesworth apologized to all who watched the game and said he had entered counseling to control his emotions. He also said that he would work with children in the Nashville area.[39]

Fisher told Parcells after the game that the Titans would punish Haynesworth themselves if they felt that the NFL's punishment was not serious enough. On the same day as Haynesworth's press conference, Fisher told a national radio show that the Cowboys game may have been Haynesworth's last as a Titan. The team had the option of either deactivating him for the remaining seven games of the season or releasing him.[40] Had the Titans released him, they had enough room under the salary cap to absorb the $5.5 million they would owe him for 2007.[41]

Haynesworth was eligible to return on November 19 for the Titans' game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Even so on, there was no guarantee that he would play. Haynesworth's agent, Chad Speck, told several media outlets that Haynesworth fully expected to return to practice on November 13, and he did indeed report that day. He played against the Eagles on November 19, and recorded one tackle.[42] He finished the 2006 season with two sacks, 30 total tackles, and two passes defended in 11 games and starts.[43]

On September 9, 2007, in the season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Haynesworth was called for unnecessary roughness when he slammed running back Maurice Jones-Drew to the ground after a tackle. He was fined $5,000 by the NFL for this incident.[44] In Week 9, against the Carolina Panthers, he registered a career-high three sacks in the 20–7 victory.[45]

Haynesworth was elected to the Pro Bowl for the first time for the 2007 NFL season.[46] In addition, he earned first team All-Pro honors.[47] During this season following the stomping incident, he ranked second on the team with six sacks in his 11 games played up to the selection, led or tied for the team-high in total tackles three times that season, and led or tied the team-high in quarterback pressures five times. At the point where the Pro Bowl selection was made, the Titans had an 8–3 record in games in which Haynesworth started and were 0–3 in games in which he did not play.[48]

Haynesworth said of his Pro Bowl selection, "It's an awesome feeling. It's kind of a load off my back because I didn't want last year's suspension to define my career. It was a difficult time in my life, but I was determined to keep working hard to get to this point and earn the respect of my teammates, coaches and fans." Haynesworth failed to sign with Tennessee due to the deadline of signing a franchise tagged player.[49]

In the 2008 season, Haynesworth appeared in and started 14 games. He finished with 8.5 sacks, 51 total tackles, two passes defended, and three forced fumbles.[50] Haynesworth was named to the Pro Bowl and earned first team All-Pro honors for the 2008 season.[51][52] He was named Defensive Player of the Year by Sporting News.[53]

An unrestricted free agent in the 2009 off-season, Haynesworth signed a seven-year, $100 million contract with the Washington Redskins on the first day of free agency, February 27, 2009.[54] This was despite being offered more money[55] by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The deal was expected to pay Haynesworth $32 million in the first 13 months,[3] included $41 million guaranteed, and could have reached $115 million if all incentives were met.[54] Tennessee's final offer to Haynesworth reportedly amounted to a four-year package worth $34 million total, with about $20 million in guarantees.[56] Haynesworth reported on Sirius Blitz that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offered him a $120 million deal that could potentially increase by 20%. He says that he took a discount to play with the Redskins because of their large fan base and media outlet, something that he also did not have in Tennessee.[57] In April 2009, the Titans asked the NFL to consider tampering charges against the Redskins, claiming that the Redskins contacted Haynesworth before the free agency period began on February 27.[58]

From the beginning of his time with the Redskins, Haynesworth presented problems for the coaching staffs of both Jim Zorn and Mike Shanahan. After a 45–12 loss to the New York Giants on Monday Night Football in 2009, Haynesworth questioned the scheme of defensive coordinator Greg Blache, and stated that he could not "survive another season in this system if it stays the way it is."[59] After the 2009 season he refused to participate in off-season workouts, and arrived at camp in poor physical condition, unable to pass a basic fitness test.[60] He also felt inexperienced and unfamiliar with the team's 3–4 defensive scheme introduced by Shanahan, having previously played in a 4–3 scheme in Tennessee and in his first season in Washington.[61] In the 2009 season, Haynesworth appeared in and started 12 games. He finished with four sacks, 37 total tackles, and five passes defended.[62]

On December 7, 2010, it was announced that Haynesworth would not participate for the remainder of the season. There had been conflicts throughout the 2010 preseason with Haynesworth and the coaching staff. After a dispute over his absence at a practice in which Haynesworth claimed to be ill, the team suspended him for "conduct detrimental to the club". Head coach Mike Shanahan said the suspension followed a refusal by Haynesworth to cooperate in a variety of ways and not only because of the practice absence.[63]

During the 2010 season, Haynesworth had a career-low 13 tackles and just 2.5 sacks in eight games,[64] leading the NFL Network to name the signing of Haynesworth as the "worst free-agency move of the last decade."[2] Many other NFL writers have gone further, calling Haynesworth the worst free agent bust in NFL history.[65][66] Haynesworth created some controversy in March 2015 when he likened Ndamukong Suh's six-year, $114 million contract to his previous contract with the Redskins.[67]

Haynesworth was traded to the New England Patriots on July 28, 2011, for a fifth-round draft pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.[68] He lasted less than four months with the Patriots, and on November 8, 2011, Haynesworth was placed on waivers.[69] His placement on waivers came days after he got into a confrontation with assistant Pepper Johnson on the sidelines.[70][71]

Two days after being released by the Patriots, Haynesworth was claimed off waivers by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[72] He appeared in seven games for Tampa Bay and started six.[73] On February 15, 2012, he was released by the team.[74]