Sources: Jets, star DT Williams reach $96M deal

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The New York Jets have locked up All-Professional defensive sort out Quinnen Williams with a four-year, $96 million contract extension, that features $66 million assured, sources informed ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Thursday.

It is the biggest assure in franchise historical past, surpassing linebacker C.J. Mosley‘s $51 million as a free agent in 2019.

Williams, 25, who had one yr remaining on his rookie contract, is now signed by way of the 2027 season.

The extension makes Williams the NFL’s second-highest paid defensive sort out, primarily based on common annual worth. At $24 million per season, he surpasses the Tennessee Titans‘ Jeffery Simmons ($23.5 million) for the No. 2 spot, behind Los Angeles Rams star Aaron Donald ($31.7 million).

The Jets now have two of the highest-paid gamers at their respective positions in Williams and quarterback Aaron Rodgers ($50.3 million common), whom they acquired in an April commerce with the Green Bay Packers.

Williams skipped the Jets’ voluntary exercises as the 2 sides negotiated, greater than as soon as expressing his frustration on social media as different high defensive tackles landed enormous extensions. He deleted the Jets from his Twitter bio, altering it to, “Defensive sort out for ….” He restored the Jets to his bio on Thursday shortly earlier than information of his extension.

This offseason, Simmons, Dexter Lawrence (New York Giants) and Daron Payne (Washington Commanders) scored new offers, starting from $22.5 million to $23.5 million per yr. Simmons, Lawrence and Williams had been first-round picks in 2019.

The Jets re-signed Williams’ brother, linebacker Quincy Williamsearlier this offseason to a three-year, $18 million contract.

Publicly, Jets officers remained optimistic all through the method, vowing to get it finished although the 2 sides went no less than a month in April/Might with out speaking, a supply mentioned. On June 6, coach Robert Saleh mentioned “it will get finished. He’ll be right here for camp, he’ll be able to roll and as soon as he’s, I am certain he’ll be the identical man he was a yr in the past.”

The Jets protection, which completed fourth final season in yards allowed and scoring, now has certainly one of its pillars for the foreseeable future.

Cash apart, the Williams deal additionally is important as a result of the Jets aren’t identified for retaining their high picks. They’re the one workforce that did not re-sign any of its first rounders from 2012 to 2018 to a second contract, based on ESPN Stats & Data analysis. The final one to get an extension was defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson, picked in 2011.

This marks the primary time that basic supervisor Joe Douglas, who took over in 2019, has re-signed a Jets draft decide to a multiyear extension. Of the 55 draft picks from 2012 to 2018, solely two acquired multiyear extensions — large receiver Quincy Enunwa (sixth-round decide in 2014) and guard Brian Winters (third spherical in 2013). These extensions pre-dated Douglas.

After strong years in 2020 and 2021, Williams exploded in 2022, ending with a team-high 12 sacks (third amongst inside linemen within the NFL). His stress share (13.4%) was the very best amongst certified inside linemen, based on NextGen Stats.

Williams made his first Professional Bowl and was named first workforce All-Professional. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich known as it “among the best defensive performances … I’ve ever been round — and I have been round some actually, actually good gamers.”

Ulbrich likened Williams to former san francisco 49ers teammate Bryant Younger, a four-time Professional Bowl defensive sort out who was inducted into the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame in February.

Williams was chosen third general in 2019, Mike Maccagnan’s last draft because the GM. The previous Alabama all-America has 27.5 sacks in 57 profession video games.

“All of us love Quinnen,” Douglas mentioned on the finish of the season. “He is 25, he is had a implausible season. We nonetheless assume there’s lots of upside for him. We wish Quinnen right here.”