New York Jets, Star DT Quinnen Williams Reach $96M Deal
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- The New York Jets have locked up New York Jets, Star DT Quinnen Williams with a four-year, $96 million contract extension that includes $66 million guaranteed, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Thursday.
It's the largest guarantee in franchise history, surpassing linebacker C.J. Mosley's $51 million as a free agent in 2019.
Williams, 25, who had one year remaining on his rookie contract, is now signed through the 2027 season.
The extension makes Williams the NFL's second-highest-paid defensive tackle, based on average annual value. At $24 million per season, he surpasses the Tennessee Titans' Jeffery Simmons ($23.5 million) for the No. 2 spot, behind Los Angeles Rams star Aaron Donald ($31.7 million).
The Jets re-signed Williams' brother, linebacker Quincy Williams, this offseason to a three-year, $18 million contract.
The Jet's defense, which finished fourth last season in yards allowed and scoring, now has one of its pillars for the foreseeable future.
Money aside, the Williams deal also is significant because the Jets aren't known for retaining their top picks. They're the only team that didn't re-sign any of its first-rounders from 2012 to 2018 to a second contract, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. The last one to get an extension was defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson, picked in 2011.