Albert Haynesworth
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Washington Commanders defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth in 2010.
From the 1st year of NFL free agency, way back in 1993, teams have been making terrible deals. Happens every year. The Washington Commanders just seem like they’ve done it at a higher clip than anyone else.
Bleacher Report put together a list of the “50 Worst Free Agent Busts of All Time,” and wouldn’t you know it, the Commanders took the No. 1 spot with the 7-year, $100 million free agent contract defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth signed for in 2009.
From B/R: “No free-agent pairing has gone quite as badly as Washington’s 2009 addition of Albert Haynesworth. Despite having just two standout seasons on his resume, the 27-year-old Haynesworth landed a seven-year, $100 million contract from Washington in free agency. The deal included $41 million guaranteed and was the first $100 million contract for a player in NFL history. The entire Haynesworth experience was a debacle for Washington fans. He started 12 games in 2009 but boycotted workouts the following offseason and arrived at training camp out of shape. In 2010, he was suspended for four games for refusing to cooperate with head coach Mike Shanahan and his staff. After only 20 games and 12 starts, Washington traded Haynesworth to the Patriots for a fifth-round pick in 2011.”
Commanders Ignored Haynesworth’s Red Flags
The 6-foot-6, 350-pound Haynesworth was a 1st round pick (No. 15 overall) by the Tennessee Titans in the 2002 NFL draft out of the University of Tennessee.
Despite being a 2-time NFL All-Pro and 2-time Pro Bowler by 2009, few people associated Haynesworth with anything but 1 of the ugliest on-field incidents in professional sports history by the time he signed with the Commanders.
That incident occurred in 2006, when Haynewsorth stomped on the head of Dallas Cowboys center Andre Gurode … after ripping off Gurode’s helmet. Gurode needed 30 stitches to fix the wounds on his face. Haynesworth received a 5-game suspension, the longest in NFL history for an on-field incident.
Those 2 seasons led to Haynesworth’s mega-contract with the Commanders, reportedly turning down an even bigger offer from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Haynesworth: Problems From Jump in Washington
From the moment Haynesworth got to Washington, he refused to play nice.
In the 2009 season, he constantly complained about the defensive scheme and saw his numbers cut almost in half from the previous season to 34 tackles and 4.5 sacks. Haynesworth refused to participate in the team’s offseason program, showed up to training camp out of shape, was eventually suspended by head coach Mike Shanahan for conduct detrimental to the team, and in 2010 played only 8 games, recording 16 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
Haynesworth was traded to the New England Patriots in exchange for a 5th-round pick before the 2011 season and lasted just 4 games before he was released. He finished out the season playing for the Buccaneers and never played in the NFL again.
Of the $100 million he signed for with the Commanders, Haynesworth only saw $34.7 million and finished his career with $59.3 million in career earnings.
Away from football, Haynesworth’s life has also been a mess. He’s been arrested and sued for everything from assault to domestic battery to paralyzing a fellow driver in a car accident, and even named in a $10 million paternity lawsuit by an exotic dancer in New York. Just 1 year after he signed his contract with the Commanders, he was even sued for defaulting on a $2.4 million bank loan.