Quinnen Williams could be given largest contract in NY Jets history

All has been quiet this offseason as it pertains to the ongoing extension talks between the NY Jets and star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. But make no mistake about it, Williams will eventually receive his payday.

Whether it's from the Jets or some other team.

ESPN's Rich Cimini reported on a recent episode of the "Take Flight" podcast that Williams could receive a contract worth anywhere between $17 and $20 million per season. That would mark the largest contract in Jets history, at least as far as yearly value goes.

The current record is held by Jets linebacker C.J. Mosley whose massive five-year, $85 million contract paid him an average of $17 million per season. Williams seems primed to smash that record.

Does Quinnen Williams deserve to be the highest-paid player in NY Jets history?

Williams is undoubtedly a very good player and likely the best overall talent on the Jets' roster right now. The former No. 3 overall pick hasn't quite ascended into stardom just yet, but he's proven over the last two years that he's one of the best defensive tackles in football.

He ranks fifth among all interior defensive linemen in defensive stops with 73 and sixth in sacks with 12.5 since entering the league in 2019, and that's including his disappointing rookie campaign. By all accounts, he's one of the best players at his position.

That said, you do have to consider the importance of an interior defensive lineman in the Jets' defensive scheme, one that sees Williams play right around 50-60 percent of snaps per game.

Would the Jets really want to make someone who only plays a little more than half of his team's defensive snaps the highest-paid player in franchise history? It's a fair question, and one they don't have to answer right away.

The Jets still have multiple years of control on Williams with the former Alabama star set to enter his fourth NFL season in 2022. He could play 2023 under his fifth-year option before the franchise tag becomes an option.

It seems unlikely that the Jets reach an extension with Williams in the near future for that very reason, although the two sides have been in contact, per Cimini.

A monster 2022 season could be enough for Quinnen Williams to convince the Jets that he deserves a record-setting contract. All eyes will be on him this year.