Haynesworth Muscle Condition

The Albert Haynesworth saga with the Washington Redskins seems to be the never ending story. In the latest chapter, however, we have another twist and turn, one that cannot be blamed on the player. With Haynesworth’s threatening to hold out from camp earlier, followed by his struggles to pass a mandated conditioning test, there were numerous reasons to lambast one of the richest players in the National Football League.

However, just a day after Haynesworth accused his coach Mike Shanahan of downplaying his medical condition, it has been reported that Haynesworth has rhabomyolysis. Haynesworth stopped practicing early Tuesday during camp, and was unable to participate at all the following two days. When pressed by the media on the absences, Shanahan gave varied responses. He initially said he was sick, then followed that up with dehydration. On the last day, Shanahan said that it was “more of a headache than anything else.” However it may be, the condition is serious, and is certainly somewhat worrisome to the player, and the organization. Perhaps not to Shanahan, who’s battles with Haynesworth have been well documented.

The condition causes the rapid breakdown of skeletal muscle due to injury in muscle tissue. A potential cause of it may be the extremely hot weather that is being experienced at the camp. Basically, large amounts of Haynesworth’s muscle tissue is breaking down, causing extreme soreness, and the inability to perform. One thing is clear, which is Haynesworth’s thoughts on how the issue was handled. “You’ll have to ask them, but I guess they’ll tell you headaches again,” he said. “It was part of it, but it wasn’t all of it. They left out a whole lot of stuff.”

Haynesworth was also not happy with how he was treated in the team’s preseason game. As he begun practicing with the team, he was made to work with the second string. He was not put in the team’s recent game until the third quarter, when all of the starters had left. Haynesworth had his own thoughts on that, as well. “Third quarter. I’m a ninth-year pro. I don’t think I should have been out there in the third quarter. But, for having ‘headaches’ again, that was what they wanted to do.”

It is clear that this is one saga that will not be ending anytime soon.