Jets DT Quinnen Williams sends clear message about contract dispute on Twitter
Amid a tense contract dispute, defensive tackle Quinnen Williams sent a clear message to the Jets.
Per ESPN's Rich Cimini, Williams changed his Twitter bio to "Defensive tackle for ..." and erased the Jets.
NBC Sports Mike Florio reported Williams is skipping the team's voluntary offseason workouts since he has one year remaining on his contract and wants an extension.
The league's DT market shifted after the Giants recently signed Dexter Lawrence to a four-year, $87.5M contract ($22.5M annual per year), making him the third-highest-paid interior defensive lineman in the league, per OverTheCap.
Williams might want a payday since he's a better player than Lawrence. Last season he made first-team All-Pro and recorded 12 sacks in 16 games, 11th in the NFL. Lawrence made second-team All-Pro and had 7.5 sacks in 16 games.
The Jets ability to provide massive deals is limited. They're 22nd in cap space ($7.56M, per OTC). Also, after recently trading for QB Aaron Rodgers, they have to accommodate his massive contract, which has two years and $108,815M remaining.
Another issue preventing an extension could be Williams' desired salary. Per Cimini, his preferred deal is worth at least $23.5M APY, which could make him the league's second-highest-paid DT behind Los Angeles' Aaron Donald ($31.8M APY), a three-time Defensive Player of the Year.
It wouldn't be a massive overpay because Williams' market value is a four-year deal worth $26.6M annually, per Spotrac. Nonetheless, it's an enormous deal for a player with only one Pro Bowl appearance in four seasons.
"A major gap remains between the parties' positions," wrote Florio. Expect the Jets and the 25-year-old DT to remain at a standstill.
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