Jets linebacker Quincy Williams has been one of the best players on the defensive side of the football through four weeks. His play all over the field has been nothing short of spectacular. He is already showing he was worth the 3-year, $18 million deal he signed this offseason and some may argue he could already be worth more and that contract is already a bargain for the Jets.
Williams enters Week 5 tied for 9th in the league with 39 tackles and is currently the only linebacker with four passes defended. Williams had already shown he was an excellent tackler and sideline-to-sideline player. His improvement in pass coverage has only made him an even better player for the Jets this season and gives them one of the best linebacker pairings in the league alongside C.J. Mosley.
For those reasons and more, he is playing at an “elite” level in the eyes of defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.
“I would challenge everyone here and elsewhere that there’s not a better backer in the NFL right now,” Ulbrich said. “He is playing at an elite level in my opinion, and it’s just so exciting to see for the young man, because he’s a guy who just works so hard at it, it’s so important to him.
“I know when he came here [in 2021], it’s always hard when you get cut, especially by the team that drafted you (Jacksonville Jaguars). You had such promise, this and that, and you can start questioning yourself. That’s just human nature. For him to come here and really just grind and put his nose down and work and proved every single day with the humility, and then to get paid what he got paid and maybe go even further with his preparation and dedication to this game, it’s really cool. All the accolades, as well as he’s playing, it’s not by accident. The kid is working his [butt] off.”
So now when people talk about the Jets’ defense, Quinnen won’t be the only Williams brother being mentioned. No. 56 has also earned his stripes.