Getty New York Jets linebacker Quincy Williams bringing the thunder in a contest vs the Denver Broncos.
The coolest part about the NFL is the unpredictability factor. That’s why you play the games is the iconic phrase uttered on a weekly basis.
A team could be an underdog by three touchdowns and still find a way to pull off the upset.
Or a player could be projected for a role, then something happens and things change. That is exactly what happened to the New York Jets.
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A Diamond in the Rough Has Emerged
Heading into final roster cuts, the Jacksonville Jaguars dumped linebacker Quincy Williams to the streets. He didn’t last long as the Jets scooped him up off of the waiver wire.
Most people know him more as the older brother of Quinnen Williams as opposed to his own merits.
In theory, this was nothing more than a depth move for a team that is never satisfied with their roster. Although the injury bug forced the green and white to pivot.
After a slew of injuries, Williams was forced into the starting lineup and it wasn’t pretty.
He was an incredibly incomplete player that could certainly pop for a big hit every once in a while but coupled that with some painful misses in pass coverage.
Williams caught a lot of heat on social media, but the team stuck by him and he rewarded them for their faith.
The former Murray State product continued his hard-hitting ways, got better in coverage, and most importantly spread his infectious energy to the rest of the team increasing their level of play:
- 31 combined tackles
- Three forced fumbles
- Five tackles for loss
You can make fun of general manager Joe Douglas for a lot of things, but signing undrafted free agents (Bryce Huff, Javelin Guidry) and discovering waiver wire finds (John Franklin-Myers, Williams) isn’t one of them.
It Was Fun While It Lasted
Despite his surprisingly spectacular level of play, it appears Quincy’s dream is coming to a screeching halt.
During Monday’s presser with Jets head coach Robert Saleh, he was asked about what will happen when linebacker Jarrad Davis returns:
“We’ll see where he is, obviously he hasn’t played in a month and a half. Jarrad Davis is a phenomenal football player. He’s a starter in this league, a former first-round pick, and he showed very well [this offseason]. Not to push him into the starting lineup but when he’s ready to go Davis is going to get full game reps.”
#Jets HC Robert Saleh says when LB Jarrad Davis is healthy & acclimated (hoping for Week 7 vs #Patriots) he will be the starter at LB despite Quincy Williams’ stellar level of play: (h/t @Connor_J_Hughes asked Q) #TakeFlight #NFL
Davis was initially injured back during the preseason vs the Green Bay Packers. When he was signed in free agency, the Jets chose him first among ever other free-agent options.
That’s because this coaching staff believes he can be a stud, just read/listen to how Saleh and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich talk about Davis’ potential.
The Jets are hopeful that Davis will return after the Week 6 bye when the team travels to play the New England Patriots.
That means that Williams’ inspirational story appears to be coming to an end. As Connor Hughes of The Athletic pointed out on Twitter, “that would likely mean Quincy Williams goes into a rotational role.”
That’ll be a bit of a bummer as Williams ascended into a fan-favorite role during his time as a starter, but fans and the Jets can rest easy at night knowing they have this guy ready to step in at a moment’s notice.
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