Full details of NY Jets DT Quinnen Williams contract revealed

Everything you need to know about Quinnen Williams' contract

Justin Fried

NY Jets, Quinnen Williams / Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA

The NY Jets signed All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to a record-breaking four-year, $96 million contract last week in a deal that officially made Williams the highest-paid player in franchise history.

In the end, Williams got what he wanted. He became the second-highest-paid defensive tackle in the NFL. He received his desired four-year deal instead of five years. But the Jets also got what they wanted — they locked up a franchise cornerstone for the foreseeable future.

The details of Williams' massive contract were revealed on Monday, and the consensus appears to be that it was a fair deal for both sides.

Williams will receive $66 million in guarantees (second-most behind Aaron Donald) and the Jets actually managed to lower his 2023 cap hit in the process. That means the Jets saved current cap space with this extension.

What does NY Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams contract look like?

Below are the cap hits for Williams in each year of his new deal as well as his new cap hit in 2023, per Over the Cap.

2023: $6.5 million (previously $9.6 million)
2024: $20.4 million
2025: $21.65 million
2026: $26.65 million
2027: $30.4 million

Williams lowered his 2023 cap hit from $9.6 million to $6.5 million, saving the Jets $3.1 million in the process. This increases the Jets' current cap space to roughly $25.8 million, which is the fourth-highest total in the NFL.

Of course, that figure will decrease significantly in the coming days/weeks. The Jets still have to rework Aaron Rodgers' contract, and rookies Will McDonald and Joe Tippmann remain unsigned. Still, the Jets should have enough flexibility to sign the likes of Dalvin Cook and/or Kwon Alexander if need be.

The first potential "out" in Williams' contract comes in 2025, although releasing him would save the Jets less than $1 million while incurring a dead cap charge of $20.94 million. That's not a feasible "out."

The dead cap hit shrinks to a much more reasonable $9.8 million in 2026 ($16.85 million in savings) and $4.9 million in 2027 ($25.5 million in savings). The Jets can realistically get out of the deal in 2026 if they want to.

Williams also receives a $24.5 million signing bonus with $47.8 million guaranteed at signing. The remaining guaranteed money becomes official by Williams' third year under contract.

The deal is technically the largest defensive tackle contract by total value in the NFL, surpassing Aaron Donald's by exactly $1 million. It's also the second-largest by AAV and guaranteed money.

Quinnen Williams has developed into a true franchise cornerstone and an All-Pro defender. Now, he's been rewarded for his excellence on and off the field.

Justin Fried

Justin Fried is an editor for FanSided who has over seven years of experience covering the NFL and various other sports. A diehard Jets fan since birth, Justin has served as the editor for The Jet Press since 2019, interviewing athletes such as Sauce Gardner, Curtis Martin, LaDainian Tomlinson, Joe Klecko, and many others. Justin has also worked closely with brands like Red Bull to help highlight the niche sectors of the sporting world. His four-part series on the sport of breaking remains one of his proudest pieces of work. In his spare time, Justin is an avid pro wrestling fan who is fortunate enough to have traveled to nearly 30 different countries.