The move, which the Redskins announced was made because of "conduct detrimental to the club," comes after a long, difficult back-and-forth between Haynesworth, a two-time All-Pro with a $100 million contract, and first-year Washington coach Mike Shanahan, who won two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos.
Haynesworth skipped offseason workouts, boycotted a mandatory minicamp, needed 10 days to pass a conditioning test at training camp, did all he could to resist a change in the defensive scheme and then eventually became a part-time player.
His main gripe has been that he shouldn't be playing nose tackle in a 3-4 defense.
The Redskins said general manager Bruce Allen told Haynesworth about the suspension Tuesday. Haynesworth was inactive for Washington's 31-7 loss at the New York Giants on Sunday, which dropped the Redskins to 5-7.
In the team's statement Tuesday, Shanahan is quoted as saying that Haynesworth "repeatedly refused to cooperate with our coaching staff in a variety of ways over an extended period of time."
Shanahan also said Haynesworth "consistently indicated" to defensive coaches that he wouldn't play in certain defensive packages and refused to follow coaches' instructions in practice and during games.
Monday, Haynesworth told Allen that he would no longer speak with Shanahan, the coach said.
"Although suspending any player is not a decision that a head coach enters into lightly, I believe the situation has reached the point where the club clearly has no alternative," Shanahan said.
Haynesworth said his coaches told him he was inactive against the Giants because he didn't have a good practice on Thursday and was limited at Friday's practice because of an illness, and was late for a meeting. But Comcast SportsNet reported that unnamed sources said Haynesworth appeared hung over on Friday after being out late Thursday.
On Monday in a radio interview, Haynesworth blamed the report on "haters" that don't like him, said he was too upset to meet with Shanahan on Tuesday, and again proclaimed he could be the greatest ever if he could play the way he wants to play.
"Yeah, I went out on Thursday but left early because I wasn't feeling good and went home," Haynesworth said. "And then they want to sit here and say I was hung over and drunk and something like that? ... For these people to make up lies to try to make me look bad, it's ridiculous."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Albert Haynesworth of Washington Redskins suspended four games - ESPN