On Wednesday, Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams responded to some comments made by ESPN’s color commentator Troy Aikman following New York’s loss against the Chargers during Monday Night Football.
During the broadcast, Aikman claimed that Williams had called himself “the highest paid decoy” in the NFL.
In addition to those remarks, Aikman also reported that Williams had spoken with head coach Robert Saleh about adjusting the defensive scheme in order to enable him to get after the quarterback more frequently.
Addressing that report on Wednesday, Williams denied having made those statements, while also claiming that he has never even spoken with Aikman, according to Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. Williams said that the quote from Aikman being attributed to him was both “upsetting” and “weird.”
This season, Williams has recorded just 0.5 sacks after having penned a four-year, $96 million contract extension in the offseason. Last season, he had a career-high 12.0 sacks and made the league’s All-Pro First Team.
In his comments during the ESPN broadcast, Aikman was actually complimenting the 25-year-old’s ability to impact the defense without posting league-leading sack numbers.
“He calls himself the highest-paid decoy in football” - Troy Aikman on Quinnen Williams pic.twitter.com/22lWu6tosy
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 8, 2023
“Quinnen Williams, he keeps telling Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich they gotta come up with some ways to get him some single opportunities so he can get some sacks. He says he’s the highest-paid decoy in football,” Aikman said during the broadcast.
Still, Williams did not appear to be happy with that quote being attributed to him, and denied having ever had such a conversation, or any conversation, with Aikman.
