NY Jets: Quinnen Williams broke a bone in his foot, per report

NY Jets‘ defensive tackle Quinnen Williams is preparing for what could be a huge 2021 season following a breakout campaign a year ago. However, his preparation process might have to wait.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported on Tuesday that Williams suffered a broken bone in his foot during a recent workout and is expected to be sidelined for 8-10 weeks.

That timeframe means that he will miss all of OTAs and minicamp, although Williams does expect to be ready for training camp. Training camp is slated to begin sometime in July which would give him a tight window to return in time.

Obviously not an ideal situation for Williams and the Jets.

The NY Jets will hope to see Quinnen Williams return before long

Selected with the third overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Williams got off to a relatively slow start in his rookie season finishing with 2.5 sacks in 13 games. It was an underwhelming debut campaign, but bigger things were in store for the former Alabama star.

Williams broke out in 2020 finishing with 7.0 sacks, 55 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 14 QB hits — more than doubling his total in every major statistical category in the same number of games.

The 23-year-old finished with an exceptional 81.4 Pro Football Focus grade which ranked 12th out of all interior defensive linemen in the NFL. He was one of only a handful of players to rank in the top-16 in both run-defense and pass-rush grade.

Williams was borderline elite in 2020, and at just 23-years-old, the sky appears to be the limit. Hopefully this latest injury doesn’t sideline him any longer than it’s expected to.

If it does, the Jets, fortunately, have a bit more depth than they did a year ago. Former first-round pick Sheldon Rankins signed with the team in free agency and he’ll be joined by the returning Folrounso Fatukasi.

The Jets also have the likes of Nathan Shepherd and 2021 sixth-round pick Jonathan Marshall who could step up if need be. Players like John Franklin-Myers, Kyle Phillips, and Jabari Zuniga could also play an interior role if need be.

Of course, it would be difficult to replicate the impact that Williams has, though.

Here’s to hoping that Quinnen Williams returns before long and is ready for the start of training camp.