The Jets‘ defense is stacked with star power, but nobody changes games like Quinnen Williams. The dominant defensive tackle has been a wrecking player since arriving in New York, earning his stripes as one of the NFL’s elite interior forces. Yet last season, something felt off. His numbers dipped, his NFL Top 100 ranking plummeted 50 spots, and suddenly, chatter started bubbling – was Williams overrated? Hardly. Dig deeper, and the real story emerges.
Williams still terrorized offenses, even if the box scores didn’t always show it. Pressures, disrupted throws, and pure chaos in the trenches – that’s his game. But here’s the twist: his supporting cast might’ve sabotaged him. So, who’s really to blame for Williams’ slide? One name keeps coming up—and it’s not the guy in the middle. The Jets’ big offseason addition may have backfired in ways nobody saw coming. So what derailed Quinnen Williams’ season?
Jets analyst Matt O’Leary broke down why the star defensive tackle remained elite despite slipping in the NFL Top 100 rankings. “I know the s— number is sacks – and sacks are important, I’m not diminishing that – but pressures also lead to bad throws, interceptions, fumbles, errant passes, incompletions,” O’Leary explained. “There are a lot of underlying things that don’t show up in your ESPN box score that Quinnen Williams does.”
The numbers backed this up. The seventh-year player recorded 6 sacks, less? However, Williams still generated 50+ pressures while routinely facing double teams, proof that his impact went beyond basic stats. The real issue emerged when O’Leary revealed, “It just didn’t help that last year he had guys like Javon Kinlaw and Haason Reddick playing a decent chunk of snaps… Gap integrity on the Jets’ defensive line was essentially nonexistent.”
Haason Reddick arrived in New York with hype – a proven edge rusher swapped for a future draft pick. But things soured fast. He skipped camp, demanded a trade, and left the Jets scrambling. The front office dug in, fining him daily while insisting he’d play. By October, they caved, reworking his deal just to get him on the field.
The damage was done. Reddick played like a rental – freelancing, blowing assignments, leaving Williams to anchor a collapsing defense. No wonder the All-Pro’s numbers dipped. No wonder the NFL’s Top 100 voters slept on him. Now with Reddick gone, 2025 becomes Williams’ redemption tour.
The numbers behind Quinnen Williams’ slide
Quinnen Williams’ NFL Top 100 free-fall tells a story of perception versus reality. In 2022, he was unstoppable. 12 sacks, All-Pro honors, the kind of interior dominance that makes offensive coordinators sweat. Fast forward to 2025, and the Jets’ cornerstone tumbled 50 spots to No. 87, his ‘down year’ somehow still good enough for a third straight Pro Bowl nod.
Bobby Kownack, a digital content producer, nailed the paradox. “Williams is good enough that even down years net Pro Bowls.” The stats back it up—54 pressures (7th among DTs), 38 hurries (6th), and that fifth-best early-down pressure rate (minimum 150 pass rushes). Yet the drop-off showed in glaring ways: no pass breakups, no forced fumbles, and a PFF run-defense grade that nosedived from 90.4 to 57.5. “He wasn’t his usual run-stuffing self,” Kownack noted, “but you can bet he’s raring to reclaim the ranks under a new regime in Gotham.”
Dec 10, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) throws the ball asNew York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (95) pursues during the second half at MetLife Stadium. Stroud was injured on the play and left the game. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Peers still see the elite talent. Eagles star Lane Johnson gushed in Williams’ Top 100 feature: “Tremendous long arms… His power and his speed are elite. Guys have a hard time getting their hands on him.” Johnson even praised the Jets’ scheme fit, that upfield, attack-first style that lets Williams wreak havoc.
The contract says it all: three years left on a $96 million deal signed in 2023, zero chance New York walks away. Even at 80% capacity, Williams outplays most tackles. But 2024 exposed the cracks. Not in his game, but in the chaos around him. Now, with new coaches Aaron Glenn and Steve Wilks calling shots, the mission is clear: reclaim that 2022 magic.
The Top 100 ranking may serve as motivation, but Williams’ focus remains on fundamentals. His 2024 season showed both clear regression and underappreciated consistency – a player still performing at a high level while not quite reaching his peak standards. With new defensive leadership in place and more stability along the defensive line, Williams has the opportunity to return to form without needing manufactured narratives about disrespect. His track record suggests the production will follow when put in a position to succeed. At 27, he remains in his prime years with plenty left to contribute to the Jets’ defense.
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