Getty New York Jets defensive lineman Quinnen Williams and former Dallas Cowboys QB Troy Aikman.
Well, this is awkward.
During the New York Jets versus Los Angeles Chargers Week 9 game on Monday Night Football, broadcaster Troy Aikman told a story about Quinnen Williams.
“Quinnen Williams keeps telling Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich that they gotta come up with some ways to get him some single opportunities so he can get some sacks. He says he’s the highest-paid decoy in football,” Aikman revealed during the television broadcast.
“He calls himself the highest-paid decoy in football” – Troy Aikman on Quinnen Williams
This clip got back to Williams, and he wasn’t happy about it.
At the end of his media availability on Wednesday, November 8 he went out of his way to set the record straight.
“Hey, can I say something real quick? I seen something like Troy Aikman said that I said something about being a decoy. … I never said that. I never talked to Troy Aikman, I never said that to Troy Aikman, I don’t know where he got that from, that never came out of my mouth that I was the highest paid decoy or something like that he said. … I never said that, I never talked to him before the game, I never alluded to that, [that] never came out of my mouth,” Williams emphatically said.
“Like I never had a conversation with him at all. To hear him say that I said that is kind of upsetting that he would lie on me like that or say that I said that. That’s kind of weird to me.”
Oh wow…
At the end of @QuinnenWilliams’ media availability he went out of his way to address the comments @TroyAikman made on the Monday Night Football broadcast:
‘Can I say something real quick? I seen something that Troy Aikman said that I said something about being a…
Top Social Media Reactions to Aikman-Williams Beef
“He’s literally the nicest person. Even when someone does him dirty he says he’s upset. He’s so gentle,” one X user previously Twitter said.
Williams is in the midst of his fifth professional season in the NFL and it’s hard for his feathers to be ruffled. He is a quiet guy and for him to speak out and go out of his way to bring this up is certainly an eyebrow-raiser.
A fan congratulated Williams for defending himself, “Keep calling these idiots out. They’re lying for clout.”
“Just be lying for no reason.”
Williams Hasn’t Put up the Same Production in 2023
By all accounts, Williams had a breakout season in 2022.
He established new career highs in sacks (12), quarterback hits (28), and tackles for loss (12).
That resulted in individual success with first-team All-Pro honors, a Pro Bowl nomination, and a fat new contract extension.
This offseason he signed a four-year deal for $96 million. That deal included over $47 million guaranteed at signing and $66 million in total guarantees.
At 25 years of age, the hope from the Jets side is they were rewarding him not for the past, but rather for what he can do for the team in the future.
Speaking strictly from a sack production standpoint, Williams hasn’t lived up to that billing. In eight games played so far this season, the former Alabama product only has a half a sack to show for it.
Head coach Robert Saleh defended Williams saying sacks are an overrated statistic. When you look at the pressure numbers, Saleh said Williams is top-five in all of those categories.
.@QuinnenWilliams referred to himself as ‘the highest paid decoy in the league’ in a conversation w/ @TroyAikman that was shared on the Monday Night Football broadcast + said he has approached the #Jets coaches about finding ways to get him more 1-on-1 opportunities.
HC Robert…