Quincy Williams sends warning shot at Jets ahead of revenge game opportunity

It wasn't long ago that Quincy Williams was a staple of the New York Jets defense. The former Jacksonville Jaguars third-round draft pick spent five seasons in New York and even earned a first-team All-Pro selection in 2023.

Over 78 career games with the Jets, Williams racked up some gaudy numbers, recording 554 total tackles, 58 tackles for loss, and 27 pass breakups. The fact that he was playing alongside his brother, Quinnen Williams, made his tenure even cooler.

Of course, Williams' best play came under former head coach Robert Saleh. When the regime changed in 2025, it was evident that the former All-Pro wasn't the best fit for Aaron Glenn and Steve Wilks' defensive scheme. His final season with the Jets was a strenuous one, to say the least.

This past spring, the Jets let Williams walk in free agency, and he ended up joining the Cleveland Browns on a two-year, $13 million contract. Heading into Week 5, Williams is eyeing revenge on his old team, and he made that clear this past week.

Quincy Williams vows to be a 'nightmare' against the New York Jets

Williams told reporters this past week that he promised the Jets he would be a "nightmare" against them if they didn't re-sign him in free agency. On Sunday, he has his first chance to make good on that promise.

"So my biggest thing last year was practicing against them and be like, all right, 'If I don't re-sign, yeah, I know y'all gonna have a nightmare playing against me.' So nightmare starts on Sunday," Williams said, via Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot.

We'll see just how big a nightmare Williams ends up being for the Jets' offense in Week 5. Fans who remember his play from the end of the 2025 season likely aren't all that concerned about him, though.

It's fair to say he has been playing better with the Browns in 2026. Their defensive coordinator, Mike Rutenberg, was the Jets' linebackers coach under Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich. Surely he knows how to get more out of Williams than Wilks did in 2025.

Through four games in 2026, Williams has a Pro Football Focus grade of 62.2, ranking 38th out of 74 qualified linebackers. His biggest weakness still seems to be coverage, as his 54.8 coverage grade is 44th amongst his peers.

Look for New York to try to get mismatches in coverage against Williams in Week 5. It's safe to say trying to cover either Kenyon Sadiq or Mason Taylor will be a tall task for the former Jets linebacker.

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