Joe Douglas confident Quinnen Williams extension will get done
Quinnen Williams of the New York Jets reacts after his sack during the first quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at MetLife Stadium on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022. Credit: Jim McIsaac
INDIANAPOLIS — Jets general manager Joe Douglas expressed optimism about getting a contract extension done with Quinnen Williams.
The All-Pro defensive tackle has said he would skip the Jets’ voluntary offseason workouts if he didn’t have a deal by then. Douglas said he had “several good discussions” with Williams’ agent Nicole Lynn and would talk to her again this week at the NFL Combine.
“We feel really good about where we’re at,” Douglas said on Tuesday. “We feel good that this process is going to play out in the right way.”
Williams, the No. 3 pick in 2019, is coming off a breakout season. He led the Jets with 12 sacks and made his first Pro Bowl. He will be one of the highest-paid players at his position — if not the highest — and demand more than $20 million annually.
The Jets haven’t given a contract extension to a first-round pick since Muhammad Wilkerson in 2016.
Still high on Zach
Although the Jets are looking for a veteran quarterback, Douglas said they still believe Zach Wilson will develop into a quality QB.
“We feel like Zach has a very high ceiling,” Douglas said. “Obviously, the first two years haven’t played out the way anybody hoped but we still feel like there’s a very high ceiling with Zach.
“In my time in the league, I’ve found when players love this game and when players work their tails off, they usually hit their ceiling. So, I feel like Zach definitely has those traits. I still feel strongly that Zach’s going to be able to hit his ceiling.”
Two-minute drill
Douglas wouldn’t commit to picking up OT Mekhi Becton’s fifth-year option. The deadline is two months away. But Douglas said Becton, who has appeared in one game the past two seasons, is “in as good of a place now as I’ve seen him in a long time. He’s working his tail off and he wants to be the best player he can be for the New York Jets.” . . . Douglas said the Jets wouldn’t cut anyone or restructure deals to create cap space until after the Combine.
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
