Quinnen Williams would rather be a problem for opposing quarterbacks than his own team, the New York Jets.
The defensive lineman said as much Tuesday, deflecting a question from a reporter about his interest in a contract extension.
“I just believe the contract will handle itself,” Williams said. “Money will handle itself. I play this game for the love of the game, first and foremost. Money is not a big thing on my heart or my mind right now.”
Quinnen Williams isn't worried about his contract situation:
"Money is not a big thing on my heart or my mind. I just want to be the best football player I can be."
— Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano) May 24, 2022
Williams is in the fourth season of a standard five-year rookie contract. The Jets exercised the fifth-year option in April.
While others in his draft class are staying away from organized team activities and/or demanding trades this offseason, the No. 3 pick from 2019 seems content not to follow the lead of Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray and San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
“I just want to be the best football player on the field I can be and do the things I can do to help this team win in general,” Williams said. “When it comes down to contract, it’s going to handle itself on its own.”
The Jets see Williams as a very important player on defense. He’s their best interior lineman, one who often takes on double teams yet still has shown an ability to get to the quarterback.
Williams has been good his first three seasons, but the Jets expect more. There have been glimpses of greatness mixed in with inconsistency and injuries.
Can watch this all day. Robert Saleh as animated as we've seen him with the Jets after a huge Quinnen Williams 4th down sack with Cincy inside the Jets 5 yard line. pic.twitter.com/egF7hkU0ct
— Glenn Naughton (@AceFan23) November 1, 2021
The Jets are waiting for a breakout season, an All-Pro season, from the 24-year-old. In part, that may be why there haven’t been talks on a contract extension to this point.
“I’ve grown a lot, but I have a lot of growing space to go,” is how Williams sees things.
“I haven’t reached the potential I believe I can reach yet.”
Williams has 15.5 sacks in the NFL, six in 15 games last season and seven when he played 13 games in 2020. He had 55 tackles, 10 for a loss and 14 quarterback hits two seasons ago.
What can’t be judged by numbers is how often Williams ties up multiple offensive linemen. In theory, this should free edge rushers Carl Lawson, Vinny Curry, John Franklin-Myers, Bryce Huff and rookies Jermaine Johnson and Micheal Clemons to get to the QB this season.
find someone who looks at you the way Coach Saleh looks at his D-Line pic.twitter.com/Dn6BlMFdAn
— New York Jets (@nyjets) May 23, 2022
And if teams begin to double against the edge, Williams should get more opportunities to introduce himself to opposing quarterbacks.
Either way, Williams is an integral part of the Jets defensive line, a unit Lawson says is “an absolute breeding ground for monsters.”
“This defense can be as good as we take it,” Williams said. “Every single team that wins Super Bowls they’ve got an unbelievable defense first and foremost and unbelievable leaders.
“On the defensive side we have an amazing group of guys that came in and every last one of them just works … (we’re) pushing each other to the extreme”
Perhaps with a little more help from his friends, Williams will have that breakout season in 2022. And then his contract will indeed handle itself.
Follow Us
Subscribe