NY Jets promise Quinnen Williams extension will be done before training camp

NY Jets head coach Robert Saleh is not worried about Quinnen Williams and his ongoing contract extension talks with the organization. In fact, he's essentially gone as far as to promise that it will get done on multiple occasions now.

Saleh spoke with reporters ahead of Tuesday's open-media OTA practice and was, once again, asked about Williams' status. The All-Pro defensive tackle continues to be a now-show for voluntary OTAs as the Jets remain in discussion with him about a new contract.

Saleh insisted that an extension "will get done" and that Williams "will be here for camp." This reaffirms what Saleh told the media a few weeks back when he said he was "not worried at all" and that a deal "will get done."

It's hard to believe an NFL coach would speak this optimistically about a situation like this if the Jets and Williams weren't extremely confident that they would come to an agreement before training camp.

"I speak for everyone -- I probably speak for Quinnen -- in that we all want it to get done sooner rather than later. I'll let the business guys handle all that stuff, but it's going to get done. He'll be here for camp. He'll be ready to roll and once he is, I'm sure it'll be the same guy who was here."

Robert Saleh

The NY Jets are very confident that a Quinnen Williams extension will happen before training camp

Williams promised back in January that he would not be in attendance for the voluntary portion of the Jets' offseason program without a new contract, and he's held true to that promise. The first real test was supposed to be mandatory minicamp next week, but that was before the Jets decided to cancel it.

Now, the next time Williams is scheduled to show up to the Jets' team facility isn't until training camp in July. According to Saleh, the team fully expects him to be there, which certainly suggests that the two sides anticipate a deal being reached in the near future.

Williams is coming off a career year that saw him finish with a team-leading 12.0 sacks en route to being named first-team All-Pro. In an offseason that has seen the defensive tackle market explode, Williams is looking to become the NFL's second-highest-paid defensive tackle behind Aaron Donald.

It seems like a formality that Williams will receive that honor at this stage. He will, in all likelihood, become the highest-paid player in Jets franchise history.

The Jets have publicly been very optimistic that a deal will be reached in due time, and while Williams has expressed his pessimism and apparent frustration on social media, Saleh remains confident.

A recent report from Brian Costello of the New York Post suggests the Jets and Williams are "not far apart" on extension talks. Perhaps that's why Saleh is willing to speak so candidly.

With a little over a month until the Jets report for training camp, time is ticking. But if Saleh says he isn't worried, Jets fans probably shouldn't be either.