Quinnen Williams is the second-longest tenured member of the New York Jets. Since being selected with the third overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft, Williams has been a standout player and consummate professional for a team that has struggled to win games.

Over the years, Williams has watched the Jets’ defense grow from a young and inexperienced group into one of the league’s best.

Those days, however, are long gone.

Now, under a new regime, the Jets’ defense ranks among the worst in football — and it’s something Williams isn’t shying away from as the team heads overseas to face the Denver Broncos.

Quinnen Williams Calls Out Jets’ Defensive Woes

A look at the stat sheet shows the Jets’ defense has been among the league’s worst in numerous categories.

So, when Williams spoke on Thursday and described the defense as the worst in the league, few analysts or fans were ready to argue with him.

“We’re 0-5, and the defense has been the problem — the reason why we’re 0-5,” Williams said. “A lot of stuff needs to be better. … Our coaching staff gave us the solutions to those problems. It’s on us as players to use those solutions on Sunday.”

Coming from an All-Pro and one of the best players on the roster, those words carry more weight than if they had come from anyone else.

It also reflects a sense of accountability from the leader of a unit that has underperformed.

The former Alabama product has seen his defensive unit be one of the best in football and among the worst. He finds the team’s current play in 2025 unacceptable.

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Williams isn’t the only team leader who’s seen enough.

While the All-Pro tackle addressed reporters Thursday, edge rusher Jermaine Johnson revealed Friday that the defense held a players-only meeting before arriving in London to address its struggles.

“We definitely take full accountability,” Johnson said. “We were just talking about what we need to do differently heading into this week and utilizing this full week out here — sort of like another week of camp within the season.”

It’s rarely a good sign when a team needs a players-only meeting just five weeks into the season. But for New York, the brutal honesty from Williams and others on defense may be exactly what’s needed to turn things around.

At the very least, when Williams talks, the rest of the unit should listen.