Following the end of the regular season, Quinnen Williams made it clear that he wanted a contract extension before the Jets’ offseason program began.
While that didn’t end up being the case, and the defensive tackle chose not to report to voluntary workouts, talks between the two sides have been ongoing and appear to be headed in the right direction.
General manager Joe Douglas told reporters during his pre-draft press conference on Tuesday afternoon that discussions with Williams’ reps are in a good place, and he is “optimistic and hopeful” a deal will get done.
Williams is coming off a season in which he solidified himself as one of the top interior pass rushers in football. He earned First-Team All-Pro honors, was named to his first Pro Bowl, and finished seventh in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
The Alabama product led Robert Saleh's talented defense with a career-high 12 sacks and recorded 28 quarterback hits. He also forced a pair of fumbles and made a total of 55 tackles, 12 of which were for a loss.
Williams is entering the final season of his rookie deal. If a new deal does not end up being reached, he is set to make a fully guaranteed $9.6 million after his fifth-year option was picked up by the Jets last offseason.