Jets starter unlikely to return after fractured relationship with coaching staff

New York Jets linebacker Quincy Williams was once one of the team's most heartwarming development stories.

After getting released by the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Jets claimed Williams off waivers, reuniting him with his brother Quinnen Williams on the Jets defense. Robert Saleh and New York's coaching staff helped develop him into one of the league's top linebackers, earning a first-team All-Pro nod in 2023.

After playing out his three-year, $18 million contract, Williams is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and all signs point to the former third-round pick leaving New York.

The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt is reporting that a falling out with the coaching staff could be a major reason for the departure, even though defensive coordinator Steve Wilks is long gone at this point.

Quincy Williams preparing for a departure from the Jets

According to Rosenblatt, Williams "didn't get along" with New York's defensive coaching staff in 2025, particularly with Wilks and linebackers coach Aaron Curry, both of whom are no longer employed with the Jets after Aaron Glenn's mass assistant coach firings.

A team source told Rosenblatt that Williams was telling teammates "that he was preparing as if these were his final games with the Jets." Rosenblatt noted that a Saleh reunion with the Tennessee Titans or former defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich on the Atlanta Falcons makes the most sense.

Despite Williams' five-year tenure with the Jets, it seems beneficial for both parties if they both move on. New York already has a linebacker on a long-term deal, with Jamien Sherwood entering the second season of a three-year, $45 million contract inked before free agency in March 2025.

Paying Sherwood and a near-30-year-old Williams wouldn't be good for business, and the Jets can allocate those resources elsewhere.

The Jets have been linked to Detroit Lions free-agent linebacker Alex Anzalone, a player Glenn had a close relationship with as the defensive coordinator there, and someone who can echo Glenn's messaging in the Jets locker room.

Williams' contract seems to be expiring at the right time. 2025 was easily the worst season of his starting career, with Pro Football Focus grading him as the 69th-best linebacker out of 78 who played 500 or more snaps. He also gave up five touchdowns in coverage.

Spotrac projects Williams to land a one-year, $9 million deal in free agency, and the Titans and Falcons both make sense if he wants to land with a coach who was able to get the best out of him in New York.

I also wouldn't rule out another Williams brothers reunion with the Dallas Cowboys. They certainly have a need at linebacker, and it's easy to imagine Quincy wanting to play with Quinnen one last time.