Albert Haynesworth expected to start, denies organizing a player boycott
By Jason Reid
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Pro Bowl defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, sent home from practice Friday for disciplinary reasons, returned to Commanders Park on Saturday and is scheduled to start Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys at FedEx Field, according to people in the organization familiar with the situation.
Haynesworth, who arrived about 20 minutes late for a team meeting on Friday, expressed frustration with the Commanders' defensive scheme and coordinator Greg Blache in Saturday's editions of The Post.
If it were up to Blache, Haynesworth would not start, multiple team sources said. But owner Daniel Snyder gave Haynesworth $41 million guaranteed in signing him last February, the Commanders are playing an NFC East rival in a nationally televised game, the Cowboys still are battling for a playoff berth and all that adds up to Haynesworth starting.
Haynesworth denied an Internet report he attempted to gather the locker room in protest of the start time of Friday's practice at Commanders Park.
Citing multiple sources with knowledge of the situation, the National Football Post wrote Haynesworth lobbied Commanders teammates to join him in being late to practice. There is no truth to the report, according to a text message from Haynesworth's cellphone number.
"I never even joked or said anything like that," the text read. "Plus, if I was boycotting practice, why in the hell would I be at practice?"
Haynesworth acknowledged he arrived at Commanders Park about "20 minutes" late on Christmas Day.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/26/AR2009122601492.html