One of the stars on defense was Quinnen Williams, the inside defensive lineman who enjoyed a career year with team-leading and career totals of 12 sacks and 28 QB hits. Williams said today he wants to stay a Jet but would like to have a new contract done by the start of the Jets’ offseason program. Douglas did not flinch at this timeline.
“You can’t say enough good things about the player, running the rush, rushing the passer, the type of teammate and the caliber of person he is,” he said. “At the end of the day, Quinnen is a big part of our success this year, so we’ll come together as a group and review our plan. We think we have a great football administration team and we’ll come up with a really good plan and go forward.”
Douglas later said the plan covers all moves under the salary cap, under which the Jets “feel like we’ve maintained a ton of flexibility,” not just those involving Williams. And he wants Williams to stay in green and white.
“We all love Quinnen. He’s 25 and had a fantastic season. We still think there’s a lot of upside for him,” he said. “So yes, we want Quinnen here.”
The performances of players like Williams, CJ Mosley, Sauce Gardner and DJ Reed, Garrett Wilson, the injured but rehabilitating trio of young Jets offensive dynamos at Breece Hall, Alijah Vera Tucker and Mekhi Becton, and many others have helped cheer Douglas up as he led his end-of-season meetings with every player on his way to the gate and into the offseason.
“The last two weeks have been a bit dark for me personally,” he said. “But there was actually just a bit of light today talking to our players in their exit interviews. They’re obviously frustrated, but they’re also very optimistic about what’s going on here.”