No Mandatory Minicamp Means No Quinnen Williams Update

Saleh hopeful Jets can reach new deal with their All-Pro DT 'sooner rather than later'

Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

There's no telling if Quinnen Williams will show up for mandatory minicamp next week because the New York Jets aren't hosting one.

Jets' head coach Robert Saleh announced that the team will forego the three-day regimen that was scheduled for June 13, 14 & 15.

Gang Green held their eighth OTAs Phase 3 practice shortly after Saleh spoke to reporters on June 6. The Jets will have two more practice sessions on Thursday and Friday this week, closing out their off-season program.

Williams, who welcomed his first child into the world on May 22 (per his wife Maranda Williams's Instagram page), has not been present for voluntary organized team activities. A mandatory minicamp would've served as an indicator to where Williams currently stands in his quest for a new contract. Instead, fans are left to sit, wonder and trust Saleh.

"I’ll let the business guys handle all that stuff, but it’s going to get done," said Saleh. "He’ll be here for camp, he’ll be ready to roll and once he is, I’m sure he’ll be the same guy he was a year ago."

Coming off his most-productive season as a pro, Williams is locked into the fifth-year option on his rookie contract for the 2023 campaign. He earned All-Pro status last year after recording 12.0 sacks and 28 hits.

"I probably speak for Quinnen in that we all want it to get done sooner rather than later," said Saleh. 

Williams caused a media stir about a month ago when he "scrubbed" all mentions of the Jets from his personal social media accounts. His Twitter bio still reads, “Defensive Tackle for ………………." and his cover photo shows the defensive tackle in his college uniform.

Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills gave defensive tackle Ed Oliver, who is also under contract via the fifth-year option, a new deal late last week. 

Comparing the two 2019 Top 10 draft picks, Williams has garnered more accolades at the pro level than Oliver. The Jets' defensive tackle was the third-ranked interior lineman in Sports Illustrated's positional player rankings, behind only the Rams' Aaron Donald and the Chiefs' Chris Jones.

The SI rankings, which grouped edge rushers with tackles, tabbed Williams as the No. 7 overall defensive lineman in the NFL. Meanwhile, the Giants' Dexter Lawrence, who received a $90 million contract extension earlier this offseason, was slotted 10th and Oliver did not make the list.

Pinned atop Williams's Twitter page is an Adam Schefter tweet reporting Lawrence's extension from the Giants on May 4.

The Jets used the No. 3 overall selection to draft Williams out of Alabama prior to GM Joe Douglas's arrival four years ago. The 25-year-old stud has accounted for 27.5 sacks, 11 pass deflections and four forced fumbles in 57 regular season games (53 starts).

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The Bills’ four-year, $68 million deal with DT Ed Oliver provides all of us with a great lesson on positional value in today’s NFL, writes @AlbertBreerhttps://t.co/grJnwt2aEr

— The MMQB (@theMMQB) June 5, 2023