Two Early Landing Spots for Jets LB Quincy Williams

The New York Jets' defense could end up losing a key piece this offseason.

Linebacker Quincy Williams is a pending free agent after five seasons with the franchise. When Williams is at his best, he is elite. Williams was a first-team All-Pro in 2023. That season, he racked up one interception, 10 passes defended, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, two sacks, four quarterback hits and 139 total tackles. In 2024, he followed up with four passes defended, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, two sacks, two quarterback hits and 116 total tackles.

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The 2025 season wasn't as smooth, though. That's not to say the talent isn't there. He's just 29 years old and can be a game-breaker. But the Jets ran a different scheme in 2025 under then-defensive coordinator Steve Wilks and it changed Williams' game. He played in 13 games and had seven passes defended, 3 1/2 sacks, five quarterback hits and 83 total tackles. While this is the case, he got benched for a brief time in 2025. Now, he's a pending free agent. FOX Sports ranked Williams as the No. 93 overall pending free agent and linked Williams to the Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans because there would be built-in connections with Jeff Ulbrich in Atlanta or Robert Saleh in Tennessee and Williams had success with both.

The Jets LB is a pending free agent

New York Jets linebacker Quincy Williams (56) drops back on defense during an NFL Week 10 game between the New York Jets and the Cleveland Browns at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"No. 93. Quincy Williams, LB, Jets," FOX Sports' Greg Auman wrote. "WIlliams, 29, averaged 110 tackles a year in his five seasons with the Jets, having just finished a three-year, $18 million contract. Would a change of scenery help him? There are potential matches in the Titans, where former Jets coach Robert Saleh is now, and the Falcons, where his defensive coordinator, Jeff Ulbrich, returns. Both had him when he was a first-team All-Pro selection in 2023, so it makes sense, given the choice, that he could return to one of them."

The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt noted that Williams is "likely" to exit this offseason.

"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."

If so, a reunion with Ulbrich or Saleh would make sense, seeing how Williams did have success under both coaches. The offseason is here and we should find out more about his future in March.

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