Will Quinnen Williams become the latest DT to sign a mega extension?
It’s time to pay the bill for the New York Jets on star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, who has made it clear that he will skip the Jets’ voluntary offseason workouts if he doesn’t receive a contract extension.
After a standout season in 2022, Williams has entered the conversation as one of the better players in his position. And with big deals for positional peers such Daron Payne and Jeffrey Simmons this offseason, it begs the question; what could Williams want in a new contract?
How much money could be involved?
The Jets star earned All-Pro and Pro Bowl honours for the first time in his career in 2022, which means he’s in the driving seat for negotiations.
The Jets picked up Williams’ fifth-year option last April, and was the anchor of their defensive line last year. He helped New York build one of the best units in the league, tallying 55 tackles, 12 sacks and 28 quarterback hits in the 16 games he played.
Jets insider Rich Cimini believes that Williams is “probably” seeking a $23-25 million per year salary in a new contract, similar to Payne and Simmons. This means he isn’t asking for the same amount as someone like Aaron Donald, who agreed a three-year, $95 million contract in June 2022.
Williams is certainly deserving of a new deal. He’s a leader and a key figure for the Jets, so it should be in their best interests to get a deal done this offseason.
No reason for Jets fans to worry… yet
Negotiations for the deal to sign Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers continue to linger on, with the two teams stuck on compensation agreement for the 4x MVP winner.
With a contract for Williams now due, things could become a little unsettling for New York fans, but there is no reason to panic.
Despite the Jets’ unspectacular recent history with extending first-round picks, Williams is a stud defender, young and coming off his best season as a pro. He himself would also be very keen to stick around with Gang Green, with his brother Quincy also having just re-signed to a three-year deal this offseason.
With that in mind, there is no reason why the Jets and Williams won’t eventually come to an agreement. Yet it is in the interest of both parties to get a deal done soon.
Williams can miss the start of the offseason program and OTAs next month without there being any real problems. But the real issue comes if Williams isn’t tied down before the start of mandatory minicamp on June 13th, which could invoke fines if he were to skip and breed an unhealthy relationship between the team and player.
It shouldn’t come to that though, and we expect Williams to sign a new contract in the coming weeks.
