Florham Park, New Jersey (PSF) - On July 13th 2023, the New York Jets awarded their star defensive tackle with a four-year extension worth $96 million with $66 million fully guaranteed, making him the second-highest paid defensive tackle behind only Aaron Donald. Williams, who initially only had one year left on his rookie contract, is now locked in with the Jets through the 2027 season. 

Ultimately, this deal is one that had to be done for the Jets to retain their defense’s elite status. Williams had a career year last year, finishing with a team-leading 12 sacks, two forced fumbles, and two pressures per game, all of which are numbers which surpass his numbers from his past three seasons combined. He firmly cemented himself in the conversation as one of the best defensive lineman in the NFL with his breakout.

This extension did not come without its obstacles, however, as there initially was a rift between Williams and the Jets on contract negotiations. Williams skipped the Jets’ voluntary workouts and put pressure on the Jets for the deal to get done via social media when he changed his Twitter bio to exclude the Jets, making it “Defensive Tackle for ….” However, he reacknowledged the Jets after the announcement of an extension getting done.

At the end of the day, the Jets were able to maintain an integral part of their defense from the 2022 season, which finished fourth in both yards per game and points per game allowed. These results came in spite of the offense hardly ever doing them the favor of keeping them off the field with the Jets’ awful quarterback play last year.

The Quinnen Williams extension also marks an important milestone and an important step in the Jets’ journey towards finally turning the page away from a laughingstock and mediocrity to becoming Super Bowl contenders in the Joe Douglas era. From 2012 to 2018, the Jets did not re-sign a single one of their first round picks after their rookie contract, rightfully earning them a reputation as a poor drafting team. In fact, according to ESPN, only two of the Jets’ 55 total draft picks between 2012 and 2018 were re-signed to second contracts with the team.

Williams finally bucks that trend with him being the third overall pick by the Jets in the 2019 draft. This move also comes as one of the many the Jets have made this offseason to try to win and win now. Between their moves on offense, most notably trading for Aaron Rodgers of course, and their ability to retain their complete defensive core, the Jets seek to become real Super Bowl contenders beginning this upcoming season.