The best way for “former first-round draft pick” Quinnen Williams to change the common identifier in front of his name is to keep dominating.
Then he will become “Pro Bowler” Quinnen Williams.
Williams is second among NFL defensive tackles in Pro Bowl votes, according to the latest tally of fan ballots released by the league. Only the Chiefs’ Chris Jones — a would-be AFC teammate — is ahead of him.
“To be on that list with different guys like Chris Jones, [the Eagles’] Fletcher Cox, [the Rams’] Aaron Donald and [the Commanders’] Jonathan Allen and people like that, it would be super cool to be put in that same circuit and caliber of defensive linemen,” Williams said. “I watch these guys week-in and week-out, and I’m learning so much from these guys. I definitely want my career to go in the trend that they are going.”
The four players that Williams mentioned have 18 combined Pro Bowl selections. He was snubbed for his first selection in 2020 but is making a can’t-ignore case as a fourth-year pro, with a career-high nine sacks in 12 games.
“I’m just trying to focus on the next game, the next quarterback, the next opportunity,” Williams said. “Everything is next. How can I get better on the things I did wrong in the week past, so I can have consistent, better games for the team?”
Rookie RT Max Mitchell’s season is over. He was placed on the non-football injury list for an undisclosed reason, which means he would have to miss at least four games. The Jets have five remaining.
“I’m not going to get into specifics right now,” head coach Robert Saleh said, “because there’s a lot of things that we’re trying to sort out.”
Mitchell started the first four games of the season and returned to the starting lineup last week against the Vikings. He was benched in the second quarter for veteran George Fant, who was supposed to be eased back into the lineup after missing eight games.
Mike Remmers, who has 90 career starts but hasn’t played a snap this season, becomes the swing tackle. OL Laurent Duvernay-Tardif was signed off the practice squad and OL Sam Schlueter was added in Duvernay-Tardiff’s vacated spot to bolster depth.
Fant, WR Corey Davis, CB D.J. Reed and DE Micheal Clemons didn’t practice Wednesday because of a “flu bug” going around the locker room. S Lamarcus Joyner was limited because “he’s dealing with a hip, but it’s more [rest] related,” Saleh said.
LT Duane Brown (shoulder) and S Ashtyn Davis (hamstring) were limited. RB Michael Carter (knee) was a full participant after missing the last game.
One play that sticks with Saleh from the last game is the Davis-Mike White connection for a 31-yard gain on a fourth-and-10 in the fourth quarter.
“I thought it was outstanding: Corey outstanding to kind of slow down and position his body in the way that he did to be able to get the ball in there,” Saleh said, “but, excuse my language, for [White] to have the balls to just rip that thing the way he did, it was pretty cool.”