Jets' Quinnen Williams and Garrett Wilson losing on field but not losing faith in each other

LONDON — The losses continue to mount for the Jets. Not just this season, but several years of compiling far more losses than wins are taking their toll on players.

Prominent Jets veterans and captains Quinnen Williams and Garrett Wilson are trying to keep a brave face and remain positive amid the Jets’ 0-5 start this season (and the cumulative 25-64 mark since 2020).

Williams, the third overall pick in 2019, is the team’s longest-tenured position player. Wilson is a dynamic receiver whose desire to win has led to some emotional sideline displays. In their own ways, they’re trying to do what they can to help lead the Jets to success.

First-year coach Aaron Glenn never imagined the Jets still would be looking for their first win going into Week 6, but he is adamant that he’s building “some foundational things” that will lead to wins. The Jets again will try to break into the win column on Sunday against Denver at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (9:30 a.m. EST kickoff).

“We just need one,” Glenn said. “Once we get one, we’ll get this thing going right where we need to.”

Glenn wants nothing more than for Williams and Wilson, two of the Jets’ foundational players, to experience winning. Glenn said each player “deserves it.”

Quiet frontman

Williams, a Pro Bowl defensive tackle the previous three seasons, has long been the focal point of opposing offenses. Those offensive lines slide protection his way and Williams frequently finds himself double-teamed. He holds himself accountable and said he still has to make plays.

“I need to get to the quarterback no matter if it’s two guys, one guy or three guys [blocking me],” he said. “Nobody cares how you do it. It’s about doing it.”

Williams, a team captain for three years, tries to lead by example, but he’s been more outspoken this season.

On Thursday, Williams took the Jets’ uninspiring defense to task, calling his group “the problem” and “the reason” the team is 0-5. The Jets have allowed the second-most points in the NFL this season (157, 20 fewer than Baltimore), haven’t recorded a takeaway and keep giving up explosive plays.

After the Week 3 loss in Tampa, Williams cautioned that it could get much worse if the Jets don’t fix things quickly.

“You don’t want to look up and be 0-and-10,” he said.

Williams knows that feeling all too well. The Jets started 0-13 in his second season and finished 2-14 under coach Adam Gase. Williams is 41 games below .500 as a Jet, an absolute eyesore for a player who went 27-2 and won a national championship in college at Alabama.

It’s not Williams’ style, and if things don’t turn around, he could seek a change of address. For now, he continues to “look for the positives.” He said there’s a lot of season left and the players — himself included — have to perform better.

“Getting the turnovers, finishing football games when it’s on the defense, making those big plays that I know I can make, beating the double-teams more frequently,” he said. “These next 12 games are going to be very important.

“I’m super-excited for the future starting on Sunday because we do have the solutions from the coaches and the coaching staff on how we’re going to fix things, how we’re going to turn things around. It’s just on us players to apply those things.” 

Explosive receiver

Wilson, the No. 10 pick in the 2022 draft, is off to a fast start to the season and his career. He has 33 catches for 382 yards and four touchdowns in five games and already ranks 10th in receptions (312) in franchise history.

The Jets’ record since Wilson arrived: 19-37. They have more losses this year than he had in three seasons at Ohio State (29-4).

Being winless isn’t sitting well, but Wilson is not outwardly showing it as much as he did in previous seasons.

“I’m handling it as well as you can,” he said. “It’s obviously a tough thing to put so much into something and then not have a win to show for it at this point.”

Rumors swirled last season that Wilson might request a trade, especially if Aaron Rodgers returned as quarterback. Wilson is all-in on the Jets now.

The change could be attributed to the Jets giving him a four-year, $130 million contract extension in July, being reunited with his college quarterback, Justin Fields, and being voting a captain for the first time.

Wilson takes that as an honor. He’s trying to lift his teammates during this difficult time.

“That’s maybe some would say like a job description with the captain,” he said. “Truly, when I was voted captain by my teammates, I took it as, ‘Oh, these people respect the way I go about my business. They voted me to be captain, to be myself.’ So you’re still going to see that emotional side of me.”

Wilson also is investing in the new coaching regime after it invested so much in him. He has pledged support to Glenn and doesn’t want to let anyone down.

“We still got a lot in front of us, and a lot to prove,” he said. “This coaching staff didn’t know me when they came in. I got a lot to prove, and every week is an opportunity. I think thoughts like that are just keeping me good, man.

“Those hard times, it’s not for nothing. I truly believe that.”

Mutual respect, admiration

Williams and Wilson are among 14 Jets who have been a part of the organization for at least three years and never have had a winning season. They’re beyond ready for that run of futility to end and hope to do it together.

Wilson finds Williams “inspiring.” He’s taken notice of how Williams “carries himself” and how the team “reacts to him when he does talk” or makes a play. Wilson reflects on that as he continues to learn to be a leader.

“I feel like we’re having a different level of convos and some things that are hard to talk about,” Wilson said. “He’s just stayed the same person. He’s very consistent in what he does, and in his faith, in his belief, and to me, that’s inspiring.”

Williams called Wilson “super-talented” and “super-humble” and praised how hard he works. Williams believes more Jets should follow Wilson’s lead.

“As a guy who does the right thing every single day, his voice should be heard,” Williams said. “If more guys could be like him, this team could go in the right direction.”

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.