Quinnen Williams' Foot Injury 'Could Have Been Worse'

New York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams underwent surgery on his broken foot. Head coach Robert Saleh explained that the injury could have been worse

The Jets are staying positive about Quinnen Williams' foot injury.

Williams broke a bone in his foot in an on-field workout at New York's facility last week. He underwent surgery this week, a procedure that "went well," according to Jets head coach Robert Saleh.

The defensive tackle is poised to be a key contributor in New York's upstart defense and as much the timing of Williams' injury is inconvenient—missing OTAs and minicamp—Saleh knows it could be a whole lot worse. 

"From everything that I've gathered, his surgery went well, everything was a success," Saleh said on Friday. "We're expecting him back I believe for training camp but we're excited to work with him. He's a tremendous young man, he's in high spirits and we're excited to get him back."

#Jets DL Quinnen Williams underwent successful surgery Thursday with Dr. Robert Anderson to repair a broken bone in his foot, per source. Average recovery is 10-12 weeks and they’ll be cautious, but Williams is expected to be ready for training camp.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 7, 2021

Saleh went on to explain that the type of injury Williams is dealing with is often inevitable, something that can't be avoided. In that sense, it's better to have it happen now, so he'll still be able to participate in training camp and suit up for the first game of the season this fall.

"It could have been worse," Saleh said. "The timing of it all was good. You never want to see a young man get hurt, especially in the first year where you're trying to get him to understand how we play—especially up front which will be different for him. But the fact that he'll be ready for training campus is still a positive."

Williams took a big step forward in his sophomore season, racking up seven sacks, 55 tackles (10 for loss) and 14 quarterback hits. With Saleh's tutelage, and a clean bill of health, Williams could be even more dangerous up front in green and white this coming season.

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