Just when New York Jets fans were starting to gain a little confidence, defensive tackle Quinnen Williams brought worry back into the equation. The four-year NFL veteran changed his Twitter bio, raising some eyebrows about his future.
Williams took the Jets out of his Twitter bio recently. It now reads, “Defensive Tackle for …..”
The change comes as Williams hopes to land a new contract with the Jets. He’s entering the fifth and final year of his deal and will make less than $10 million for the upcoming season.
Williams is coming off his most productive season in the NFL. He totaled 55 tackles and a career-best 12 sacks for the Jets during the 2022 campaign. For his efforts, the defensive tackle earned Pro Bowl honors and was selected to the All-Pro first team.
In addition to changing his Twitter bio, Williams retweeted a report from ESPN‘s Adam Schefter in which New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence reached a lucrative new deal. Lawrence and the Giants agreed to a four-year, $90 million extension with $60 million guaranteed.
Clearly, Williams believes he’s worthy of a contract extension that pays him well. And after putting up big numbers in 2022, he’s probably right.
During the offseason, the Jets placed a majority of their focus on landing quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Now that the deal is done, Williams wants his contract situation to get some attention.
Williams has spent the first four years of his NFL career with the Jets.
Are the Jets true Super Bowl contenders?
If the Jets are serious about making a run at a Super Bowl in the near future, figuring out Williams’ contract situation should be a top priority at this point. He’s a proven commodity along the defensive line and letting him get away seems to be a big mistake.
New York acquired Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers in an effort to make a serious run for a championship. Wide receiver Garrett Wilson believes the Jets have all the pieces offensively to do it.
“We know what we have in this room. We’ve known what we’ve had in this room,” Wilson said. “You add someone like that with the accolades that he has and the ability that he has? We expect to compete with everyone in the league. Beat everyone in the league, be one of the better teams in the league. We expect to do that.”
“I’d be lying if I said that we had someone of Aaron Rodgers’ pedigree and the expectation doesn’t go up a little bit. That’s how it is in this industry. So we’re excited to have him, and we know what comes with it. We know that, all of a sudden, eyes are on us. And we’ve got to back it up every time we take the field, practice or game. We’re excited to prove that every week. What we know we have? We’re excited to prove that to the world every week.”
But the Jets need to ensure that they’ve got the pieces on the defensive side of the football, too. That’s where Williams’ contract negotiation becomes pivotal.
The Jets weren’t exactly quick to move on the Rodgers deal. Will we see the same sort of drama with Williams?
