New York Jets Defensive Lineman "50-50" for Week 15

The New York Jets are presently in limbo with one of their best defensive players. Head coach Robert Saleh told reporters Wednesday morning that he was unsure whether defensive lineman Quinnen Williams would be ready for the team's Week 15 matchup with the Detroit Lions, putting his chances at playing through his calf injury at 50-50.

DT Quinnen Williams (calf) will not practice today. He's still 50-50 for Sunday, per Saleh. #Jets
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) December 14, 2022

Williams suffered the calf injury in the Jets' Week 14 20-12 loss to the Buffalo Bills. He was sensational on only 17 snaps in the game, notching 2.0 sacks and two tackles for loss before exiting. He was a big part of the Jets holding the Bills to five consecutive punts to open the game.

Williams has been arguably the best player on a surprising 7-6 Jets team, compiling 11.0 sacks and 12 tackles for loss in his 13 appearances this year. The Jets are still squarely in the playoff hunt, so any unavailability from Williams could prove devastating. The Jets have a tough remaining schedule, with games against the Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Seattle Seahawks, and Miami Dolphins in the final four weeks of the season.

Williams initially joined the Jets as their third overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft. Though his team's mediocrity has kept his profile relatively low, Williams has been a consistently productive player and now appears on the precipice of superstardom. He could be in line for an extension that makes him one of the league's highest-paid defenders this offseason.