The New York Jets look like they'll be without star defensive lineman Quinnen Williams for the bulk of their offseason program. According to the NFL Network, Williams broke a small bone in his foot and will likely undergo surgery to repair it. That procedure will sideline him for 8-10 weeks, meaning he'll miss OTAs and minicamp for New York. The good news, however, is that Williams should be healthy in time for training camp, thus likely be ready for the start of the regular season.
The injury occurred last week while Williams was doing on-field work at the Jets facility, per Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network. This is, of course, a less than ideal situation for Williams and the Jets, but the 23-year-old will have the bulk of the summer to heal before meaningful snaps occur during training camp.
Williams arrived in New York as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft out of Alabama and has quickly blossomed into one of the league's premier defensive tackles when on the field. In 13 games played in 2020, Williams totaled 55 tackles, 10 of which came for a loss. He was also able to get after the quarterback, finishing the season with seven sacks, 14 quarterback hits, and 20 pressures. While Williams has proven to be an elite player at the position, he has yet to play a full 16-game season. Last year, he was limited to 13 games after being placed on injured reserve in late December due to a neck injury along with a concussion.
Again, this injury shouldn't force Williams to miss time, but it does serve as a speed bump as he tries to carry the momentum from a breakout sophomore season in the league.
