Washington left tackle Trent Williams is playing on a bad right knee that will need surgery after the season.
But even if the practical part of their season ends, Williams wants to keep going.
The veteran blocker said he planned to continue playing even if they were eliminated from the playoffs.
“I still think there’s some merit to me finishing out this season, regardless if we’re in playoff contention or not,” Williams said, via Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post. “There’s still some outstanding opponents that I would like to go up against, like [Broncos pass rusher] Von Miller. Even the guys from the Chargers with [Melvin] Ingram and [Joey] Bosa — those guys are tearing it up right now. They’re probably the two best pass rushers on one team. . . .
“I always like going up against good opponents, because you get a measuring stick of who you are. I still think there’s merit in going up against those types of guys. That’s my mind frame. I’m trying to make the best out of any situation.”
That’s an admirable way of looking at it (at least as long as the team continues to believe he’s worth all the money), even though Washington’s chances are slim.
At 5-6 in a competitive NFC, they’d need to win out to have a chance, and having Williams around is a big part of that. He didn’t play last week because of the short week, but is hoping to be back Thursday against the Cowboys.