Quincy Williams will make Jets fans emotional with tribute to Quinnen Williams

Mike Luciano

Pittsburgh Steelers v New York Jets / Mitchell Leff/GettyImages

For the first time in years, NY Jets linebacker Quincy Williams will suit up for Gang Green without his brother Quinnen Williams by his side. The Jets are a few days removed from trading Williams to the Dallas Cowboys for a haul of draft picks.

Williams has been through quite the busy week himself, as he found himself demoted from the starting lineup, even with presumed starter Kiko Mauigoa inactive due to injury. Williams seems to have taken the demotion in stride, as he responded with a great game against the Cleveland Browns.

Not only did Williams manage to sack quarterback Dillon Gabriel, but he also did his brother's famous sack dance. No. 95 might be in Dallas for the foreseeable future, but Williams is making sure that his spirit and competitive fire are still in place despite the trade.

Jets LB Quincy Williams honors Quinnen Williams with Week 10 sack dance

Williams is having this breakout game just a few days after being told he was losing his starting spot and informing the rest of the media that coaches told him of his supposed underperformance throughout the entire season. The best way to vouch for yourself is to put on performances like this.

Williams' outlook for the rest of the season, and his immediate future, is checkered, to say the least. It remains to be seen if the Jets will stick with him after this semi-demotion, and it remains even less likely than before that Williams will return as a free agent in the 2026 offseason.

For now, Williams will team with Jamien Sherwood, Mauigoa, and today's starter Mykal Walker to form a ragtag bunch of linebackers that can hold the defense together with string and duct tape for the rest of the season. If this is the player the Jets are getting for the 2025 season, he might not wait long to reclaim his starting spot.

Losing his brother via trade might be what ultimately sours Williams on returning to New York, but if he plays like this for the rest of the season, look for the Jets to get some better collective effort on defense than they have shown in the past.

Mike Luciano

Mike Luciano is an NFL staff writer for FanSided with a lifetime of expertise in all 32 teams, including the Las Vegas Raiders. He began his journey at Minute Media in 2020 and has since edited and written thousands of articles covering everything from the NFL Draft to the Super Bowl and free agency. Mike's work has been featured on Bleacher Report, Sports Illustrated, FanSided.com, and other outlets. Hot takes can be found on Twitter @ByMikeLuciano.