Chris Jones Record-Breaking Contract Highlights Success of Jets' Quinnen
The common theme when looking at NFL contract extensions is the organizations who stay ahead of who they have to give multi-year deals to normally stay ahead of the market price.
The New York Jets have been on both sides of that coin.
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New York failed to get defensive end Bryce Huff signed to a long-term manageable deal when they had a chance last season, and now must watch him walk in free agency. They didn't do that with their best defensive player, though.
Quinnen Williams has been an All-Pro defensive tackle and among the top players at his position on the interior. He signed a four-year, $96 million deal before the 2023 season - making him then the second-highest-paid tackle in history.
That number has since been trumped, though.
With the Ravens' long-term agreement with Justin Madubuike, and (more recently) Chris Jones' massive extension with the Chiefs early Sunday morning, Williams finds himself now the fourth-highest-paid tackle. It's still a great contract because he is paid like a top player, but his ranking will continue to fall as top defensive tackles hit the open market.
It's the reason why the Jets were not concerned about giving him a long-term deal in the first place.
Staying ahead of negotiations is very difficult for organizations who don't want to overpay based on value, but it's so important to remain in good cap standing.
The Quinnen Williams contract may seem like solid value to start, but it's only going to be a better deal once other players are signed to similar contracts. It's what makes the Jets' ability to get a deal done in the first place so important.
It also doesn't excuse Gang Green's mishap with Huff. If New York saw the importance of staying ahead of negotiations, the organization should've known to be ready to fork over the kind of money the pass rusher wanted. Now, they are set to lose a pretty solid edge rusher.
With another player like Michael Carter II set to hit free agency next year, the Jets have a chance to learn about the importance of locking up Williams early and not make the same mistake as they did with their other top pass rusher.
