The Jets Lock Down Quinnen Williams With A $96 Million Extension, Making Him The Highest-Paid DT Not Named Aaron Donald
BOOM. One of the most underrated players in the entire NFL is no longer going to receive that label, because the New York Jets paid the hell out of Quinnen Williams to the tune of four years and $96 million. The former No. 3 overall pick really came into his own in 2022 as a first-team All-Pro selection. Williams was a big reason the Jets' defense clicked under second-year coach Robert Saleh.
What could've been a juicy-if-unenjoyable for the Jets Hard Knocks subplot wound up getting resolved in resounding fashion. Williams foreshadowed his extension earlier on Thursday by backtracking on some prior petty social media tactics:
Now that Aaron Rodgers is in the fold to provide non-shitty quarterback play and Williams has been paid, there should be little to no tension around the Jets locker room heading into this season. And what a highly anticipated season it is.
I don't necessarily want Gang Green to ascend among the loaded AFC's elite for selfish Bengals-related reasons. However, as an objective observer, the NFL is going to be better if the Jets are really good. They have an all-time great quarterback in place with a lot to prove. One of the better defensive units in the entire league anchored by Williams in the trenches and second-year stud corner Sauce Gardner on the back end. Things are looking pretty damn good for this historically maligned franchise.
Shoutout to Schefter or his researcher or whomever was responsible for dropping this absolute heater of a stat:
As we've seen not once, but twice with the Seahawks in the past decade, your entire team can change with one excellent draft class. Seattle pulled that trick off in 2012 and again in 2022. You almost have to try to be as bad as the Jets have been picking near the top of the draft. Looks like they're going to whiff again on Rodgers' backup, 2021 No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson. The rising third-year QB could be one of the bigger busts in recent memory. His NFL future is almost certainly outside of the New York/New Jersey area.
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Good thing Quinnen Williams was a major hit. There were questions about him coming out of Alabama since he'd only been a one-year starter. After some uneven performances early in his pro career, Williams is now a truly elite player who figures to be an integral part to New York's hopes of contending in the AFC.
Nice to see that the Jets aren't pulling any punches while Rodgers is around. You never know when he'll decide to retire. I imagine it'll be two years from now, but 2023 could be it. The guy is a total wild card. Having a Williams contract spat hanging over training camp could be enough to irk Rodgers and make shit uncomfortable. Good to see a fine young player break the bank for the money he deserves. Now Hard Knocks can really lock in on Rodgers, Sauce, and get some positive-skewed coverage of Williams as opposed to uncomfortable contract-related segments.
Twitter @MattFitz_gerald/TikTok