Ahead of their Week 8 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, the New York Jets have activated linebacker Quincy Williams from injured reserve.
Williams was placed on injured reserve after suffering a shoulder injury during the team’s Week 3 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“It was like being stuck in detention while everyone else is at recess,” Williams told ESPN’s Rich Cimini.
Before the injury, Williams logged 166 defensive snaps this season with two sacks, 12 tackles, and nine run stops. In coverage, he allowed nine completions on 11 targets for 58 yards and one touchdown.
In his absence, fifth-round rookie Francisco “Kiko” Mauigoa thrived in a starting role.
Throughout four starts, the Miami product improved in each outing, while turning in one of the league’s strongest linebacker performances in Week 6 against the Denver Broncos, earning an 86.3 grade from Pro Football Focus, good for a top-five mark at his position.
The rookie was flying around the field against the Broncos, totaling nine tackles without a miss, four stops against the run, and a quarterback pressure that resulted in a holding penalty.
However, Williams’ return couldn’t come at a more critical time. The 29-year-old is playing out the final year of his contract, and with the trade deadline fast approaching, Sunday’s game could go a long way toward shaping his future in New York, or elsewhere.
A strong showing against Cincinnati would give Williams a chance to remind front offices around the league of his impact as a physical, sideline-to-sideline playmaker.
