Getty New York Jets defensive lineman Quinnen Williams having some fun during an NFL game.
The New York Jets have experienced the opposite of a first-world problem for the last several years.
They haven’t had to dole out many big-time contracts to homegrown talent, because well they haven’t had anyone worth giving it to quite frankly.
That is great because the green and white have had maximum financial flexibility, but that is also equally terrible because you can’t win games with mediocre talent.
All of that is starting to change and this offseason will feature some big-time decisions.
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That Kind of Talk Is Poisonous
Jets defensive lineman Quinnen Williams is eligible for a contract extension this offseason and everyone is aware of it.
On Friday he was asked how much he has been thinking about it and Williams gave a blunt response:
“I definitely haven’t been thinking about all that. That is like rat poison as coach Nick Saban used to say. I just focus on what I can control. I can’t control Pro Bowl votes or extension/money and all that stuff. I can only control helping this team and doing all I can do to win football games.”
#Jets DL Quinnen Williams (@QuinnenWilliams) says all the noise about a future contract extension & #ProBowlVote is ‘rat poison as @AlabamaFTBL HC Nick Saban used to say’ adds that ‘I just focus on what I can control & that’s trying to win football games’: #TakeFlight #PHIvsNYJ
Speaking of Pro Bowl votes, the former Alabama star has been unable to clinch a spot among that elite group so far in his career, but he is hoping the third time will be the charm in his third season.
Right now Williams is inside the top-10 for his position in the voting polls, but there is still a long way to go.
The 23-year-old is still so young and has unbelievable potential, especially in this scheme. Williams has six sacks on the year, 40 combined tackles, and 12 quarterback hits.
All of those numbers compare favorably to the top defensive tackles in the NFL this season.
Massive Contract Is Coming in Soon
A career season is coming at an ideal time for the talented defensive tackle. The Jets will obviously exercise his fifth-year option in May, but the greater decision will come on the long-term contract extension.
It isn’t a matter of if they’ll re-sign him, it is a question of how much it’ll be for.
Head coach Robert Saleh said one of the reasons he picked the Jets was because of Williams’ potential and how important a player like this is to his scheme.
The Jets project to have over $53 million in cap space in 2022 (seventh-most in the NFL) so they should have plenty of money to dole out.
Speaking to a variety of people around the league, the sense is that Williams’ new deal will put him among the five highest-paid defensive tackles in the NFL.
That would pay him around $19.8 million per year on a multi-year deal.
The Jets already have a lot invested in their defensive line, which has caused some people outside the organization to question whether or not they should continue to throw more resources into it.
Despite the naysayers, Gang Green has every intention to continue to pile assets in the trenches and the centerpiece of that effort will be Williams.
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