Prior to the trade deadline, the Seattle Seahawks gave the New York Giants a 2024 second-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick in exchange for defensive end Leonard Williams.

Despite the last-minute nature of the trade, Williams said this transaction went down more respectfully than the last time he was traded, when the New York Jets sent him to the Giants without much notice back in 2019.

At his first press conference with the Seahawks, Williams describes how the trade happened from his perspective.

“The way it was proposed to me through my GM and with my agents was a respectful way,” Williams said. “I've been traded before and it was abruptly. I had no say or anything like that. In this situation, my GM came to me and told me he was shopping me around, but out of respect for me and where I'm at in my career, being a little older, he was pretty much letting me know that there were a few teams, including Seattle, that were on the winning side of the season and going to make a push this year. He was like ‘I know you have a connection with a lot of guys over there. Let me know before 4 p.m. today, talk with your agents.' So the way it happened felt a little more negotiated, and I think it went well,” via Talkin' Giants on X.

Giants general manager Joe Schoen received praise across the league for how he dealt with the trade. Too often, like Williams experienced with the Jets, players are traded to another team with little notice and have to pack up their life without a choice of where they go. That was not the case here.

Leonard Williams is in the ninth year of his career after the Jets drafted him sixth overall in 2015. He will add another pass rusher to a Seahawks front in need. On the season, he has 1.5 sacks so far.