Jets DL Quinnen Williams out for season with injuries

The standout defensive lineman will miss the final two games after being placed on injured reserve.

Apr. 20, 2026 at 2:28am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a defensive lineman making a tackle, with the player's body broken down into overlapping planes of dark green, navy blue, and metallic silver.The season-ending injuries to Jets defensive lineman Quinnen Williams force the team to reconfigure its defensive line rotation for the final two games.NYC Today

New York Jets defensive lineman Quinnen Williams has been placed on injured reserve, ending his breakout second NFL season. Williams suffered a concussion and a neck injury in the team's first win of the season against the Los Angeles Rams. He finishes the year with a team-leading seven sacks, 14 quarterback hits, and 10 tackles for loss.

Why it matters

Williams has emerged as one of the NFL's top defensive linemen this season, making a significant impact on the Jets' defense. His season-ending injuries are a major blow to a struggling Jets team that was hoping to build around Williams as a cornerstone of their future.

The details

Jets head coach Adam Gase said Williams' neck injury would likely keep him out for the rest of the year, even after he clears the concussion protocol. Before getting injured, Williams had four tackles, a sack, a tackle for loss, and a quarterback hit against the Rams. The Jets will now turn to a combination of John Franklin-Myers, Trevon Coley, and rookie Jabari Zuniga to fill the void left by Williams' absence.

  • On April 20, 2026, the Jets placed Williams on injured reserve, ending his season.
  • Williams was injured in the Jets' first win of the season on April 11, 2026 against the Los Angeles Rams.

The players

Quinnen Williams

A standout defensive lineman for the New York Jets who was having a breakout second NFL season before suffering season-ending injuries.

Adam Gase

The head coach of the New York Jets.

John Franklin-Myers

A defensive lineman for the New York Jets who will help fill the void left by Quinnen Williams' injury.

Trevon Coley

A defensive lineman for the New York Jets who will help fill the void left by Quinnen Williams' injury.

Jabari Zuniga

A rookie defensive lineman for the New York Jets who will help fill the void left by Quinnen Williams' injury.

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What they’re saying

“I don't know exactly. I just know that it's probably going to keep him out the rest of the year.”

— Adam Gase, Head Coach, New York Jets

“He's done a good job, obviously. I felt like he had a good run of games. I felt like his consistency was pretty good. There were a few games where he kind of disappeared, but it didn't happen a lot. Last year, there would be a couple of games in a row where you didn't really feel him. But this year, a high majority of the games, you felt him. If you were on the other team, you felt him, whether you were playing quarterback or in the run game.”

— Adam Gase, Head Coach, New York Jets

“Sunday, you saw what kind of impact that he had, made a ton of TFLs, was in the backfield, created pressure.”

— Adam Gase, Head Coach, New York Jets

What’s next

The Jets will need to rely on a combination of John Franklin-Myers, Trevon Coley, and rookie Jabari Zuniga to fill the void left by Quinnen Williams' season-ending injuries for the final two games of the season.

The takeaway

Quinnen Williams' season-ending injuries are a major setback for the Jets, who were counting on the standout defensive lineman to be a cornerstone of their future. His absence will force the team to get creative with their defensive line rotation as they look to finish the season strong.