New York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams is looking to join other defensive tackles among the highest-paid NFL players in 2023. While both sides are open to a long-term deal, a significant gap in negotiations could lead to a prolonged holdout.
Williams, age 25, is entering the fifth year of his rookie contract. The 6-foot-3 defensive lineman is coming off an All-Pro season, earning his first Pro Bowl selection and finishing seventh in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
- Quinnen Williams stats (2022): 28 QB hits, 12 tackles for loss, 12 sacks
Poised to become one of the top NFL free agents in 2024, Williams is seeking a long-term deal that reflects a changing market. With the NFL salary cap rising, defensive tackles Javon Hargrave, Dexter Lawrence and Jeffery Simmons all reset the market this spring.
Related: 3 Quinnen Williams trade landing spots
However, negotiations between Williams and the Jets haven’t gone well this offseason. The 25-year-old defensive lineman scrubbed all team references from his social media and won’t report without a deal.
If New York was hoping to use Lawrence’s contract extension as a template to extend its top defensive lineman, that reportedly won’t be a strong enough starting point.
According to Henry McKenna of FOX Sports, Williams is likely pushing for a multi-year deal with a base value of $25 million per season and could push for nearly a $30 million average annual value from the Jets.
- Quinnen Williams contract: $9.594 million cap hit (2023), 2024 free agent
Related: New York insider reveals likely cost for a Quinnen Williams contract extension
Aaron Donald ($31.6 million AAV) is the highest-paid defensive tackle in football, but no one around the league believes any other player will approach that mark anytime soon. Instead, Williams seems to be eyeing contract terms that would put him far ahead of Simmons ($23.5 million AAV), Daron Payne ($22.5 million AAV) and Hargrave ($21 million AAV).
Because Williams is under contract, he would face mandatory fines for each day of training camp he misses. The Jets also hold significant contract leverage, with Williams still under his fifth-year option and New York able to use the franchise tag on him in the next two offseasons.
