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Jets bench former All-Pro defender one day after trading his brother

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Nov 5, 2025 5:22 PM ET

The trade deadline may have passed, but the New York Jets are not done shaking up their defense.

Jets linebacker Quincy Williams revealed Wednesday that he has been benched by the coaching staff moving forward.

He said he had been told he was underperforming.

“My coaches told me I was underperforming, that I’ve been underperforming since training camp,” Williams told ESPN’s Rich Cimini.

The Jets' defensive shakeup continues: Former All-Pro LB Quincy Williams has lost his starting job, he told ESPN.

"My coaches told me I was underperforming, that I've been underperforming since training camp," he told me.

Williams said he's "not thrilled" with the decision, but…
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) November 5, 2025

The decision comes as a surprise given Williams’ importance to the Jets defense. He was a first-team All-Pro selection in 2023, though he has been limited to four games this season due to a shoulder injury. He just returned to action last week and made seven tackles in the team’s 39-38 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 8.

Williams is in the final year of his contract, and this would strongly indicate that he will be playing elsewhere next season. With that in mind, it is something of a surprise the Jets did not make an effort to trade him as they traded his brother Quinnen Williams on Tuesday.

The Jets are adamant that they are not in rebuilding mode. At the same time, they have traded away two star defenders and are benching a third, so that statement does not really hold up.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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