Jets 29-Year-Old All-Pro 'Likely' Done In New York

The New York Jets' defense didn't live up to expectations in 2025, to say the least.

New York hired former Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to be the team's head coach and he brought Steve Wilks to town to be the team's defensive coordinator. Some will point to the Jets' trades of Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts and Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys as the reason why the defense struggled.

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While it certainly hurts to lose two elite defensive players in the middle of a season, the Jets' defense struggled all season, even before Gardner and Williams were traded. Overall, the Jets allowed the eighth-most total yards per game (355.6 yards per game). The passing defense actually wasn't that bad. The Jets allowed 216.1 passing yards per game, 16th in the league. But they couldn't stop the run and allowed 139.5 rushing yards per game, fourth-most in the league.

The Jets should try to keep Quincy Williams

Jan 4, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills fullback Reggie Gilliam (41) makes a catch defended by New York Jets linebacker Quincy Williams (56) during the second quarter at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

After a 3-14 season, it will be interesting to see who the Jets decide to bring back and who they decide to let walk. New York has the fifth-most salary cap space in the league at just over $68 million, per Over The Cap. One guy worth watching this offseason is All-Pro linebacker Quincy Williams, but The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt said he is "likely" to leave in free agency.

"The Jets lack playmakers on defense and will likely lose linebacker Quincy Williams in free agency," Rosenblatt wrote. "Jets coach Aaron Glenn values versatility on defense, and (Arvell Reese)a would be a fun Swiss Army knife to deploy for whoever winds up getting the defensive coordinator job."

Outside of Breece Hall, Williams arguably is the Jets' top pending free agent. While the 2025 season was a bit disjointed -- featuring a brief benching and trade rumors -- Williams still set a new career high with 3 1/2 sacks and tallied 83 total tackles in 13 games played. This is a guy who was First-Team All-Pro in 2023. He may not have fit Wilks' system, but he no longer is with the Jets. If the Jets can find a way to keep Williams, that would be for the best and give the team one less area to worry about on defense.

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