This New York Jet Looks To Be The Second Highest-Paid Player At His Position
Updated: Jun 29, 2023
Entering a contract year, defensive tackle Quinnen Williams has been one of the main topics of conversation this offseason for the Jets. Williams had a breakout season in 2022 totaling 55 tackles, 12 sacks, and 28 QB hits.
The former third-overall pick was an All-Pro last season, made the Pro Bowl, and even finished seventh in the NFL AP Defensive Player of the Year voting. New York picked up his fifth-year option in April of last season and it’s no secret that Williams wants a new deal before the 2023 campaign begins.
In his most recent efforts to get the Jets’ attention, Williams recently changed his bio on Twitter to read “Defensive Tackle for …..” and has a picture of himself in an Alabama uniform as opposed to the green and white.
𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲: #Jets star DT Quinnen Williams bio now reads: "Defensive Tackle for ………" With his last tweet is a RT of the contract the #Giants gave Dexter Lawrence – $90 million with $60 million guaranteed. Williams is clearly sending the Jets a message as they're working… pic.twitter.com/cHVY4npXxW — Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) May 15, 2023
Unfortunately, this was not the first case of Quinnen Williams showing a little frustration via social media. During the week of the 2023 NFL Draft, Jets GM Joe Douglas was asked for an update on the extension talks between Williams and the team. New York’s defensive tackle responded to his general manager’s answer with this tweet:
“Optimistic” https://t.co/0ZeL7P0Mec pic.twitter.com/UmCbFUxhjb — Quinnen Williams (@QuinnenWilliams) April 25, 2023
What A New Deal Could Look Like
Henry McKenna of FOX Sports believes that the Jets are going to pay Williams, it’s just a matter of when and how much.
#Jets DT @QuinnenWilliams is seeking between $25M-$30M per year in his upcoming contract, per source. (More than Jeffery Simmons and less than Aaron Donald.) "He loves the Jets. He just wants to get paid. Hopefully it doesn't get messy," the source said. Story coming…. — Henry McKenna (@McKennAnalysis) May 15, 2023
Quinnen Williams has witnessed guys like Giants DT Dexter Lawrence, Commanders DT Daron Payne, and Titans DT Jeffery Simmons all receive new deals this offseason, all ranging from 21-23 million dollars per year in average annual value.
If Williams were to achieve his goal of getting anywhere between 25-30 million dollars per year in his new deal, he would become the NFL’s second highest-paid defensive tackle, with only Rams DT Aaron Donald above him ($31.6 million AAV).
Closing Thoughts
Fans of the team are probably experiencing a little PTSD from when former Jets safety Jamal Adams spoke out in regard to wanting a new deal. While Williams is nowhere near that level yet, that situation did work out in New York’s favor.
Joe Douglas was able to deal Adams to the Seattle Seahawks for two first-round picks, but that’s not the ending Jets fans want for Quinnen Williams. I am not hitting the panic button just yet. It’s only the middle of May and we have about two and a half months until training camp begins.
Also, the Jets’ deal for Aaron Rodgers may be complete, but New York still has to renegotiate their new quarterback’s contract. As frustrating as it may seem for Williams, there may just be some dominos that have to fall first before the organization is ready to officially lock up their star defensive tackle.
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