Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Jets' Defensive Duo Defies Haters, Secures All-Pro First Team Honors

Originally posted on FanNation Jets Country
By Ralph Ventre | Last updated 1/13/24

He was snubbed by the Pro Bowl, but the New York Jets' Team MVP earned a coveted spot on the All-Pro First Team.

Jets' linebacker Quincy Williams joined cornerback Sauce Gardner in securing top honors from the Associated Press. The two defensive leaders spearheaded the NFL's third-ranked unit in 2023, limiting opponents to 292.3 yards per game. New York ranked first overall in yards per play allowed (4.57).

The All-Pro selection is a first for Williams, who originally joined the Jets as a waiver claim in 2021. The emerging linebacker signed a new three-year contract last March and proceeded to deliver a career year that resulted in the 2023 Curtis Martin Award as New York's most valuable player.

"My focus this year was to improve my game in a way that others would take notice, and this shows I did. I have to thank my teammates and coaches for helping me accomplish this," said Williams via the team's official website.

Williams, who earned AFC Defensive Player of the Month honors for October, finished with 139 total stops including a team-high 15.0 tackles-for-loss. The 27-year-old's 95 solo tackles were fifth most amongst NFL regular season leaders. His 10 passes defensed were second most on the team with Gardner's 12 PDs leading the way.

Gardner made history by snagging his second All-Pro First Team accolade in as many seasons. The 2022 highly-touted draft pick became the first cornerback since 1970 to kick off his NFL career with two consecutive first-team selections.

While sharing that fact through a repost on the social media site formerly known as Twitter, Gardner added a simple message that said "This is craaaaaaaaaaazy."

Gardner, the 2022 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, has quickly become one of the most-respected cover corners in the league. The Jets' CB1 missed one game due to a concussion and was targeted only 55 times in pass coverage over 16 starts. He limited opposing receivers to 6.0 yards per target. Gardner and the Jets are one of two teams in the league to hold opponents under 170 yards pass yards per game.

Former pro cornerback Asante Samuel, who publicly criticized Gardner's performance earlier this season, was back at it on social media following the All-Pro announcement. Samuel claims that Gardner is undeserving of the honor and his accolades are a product of New York media hype. The Jets' cornerback fired back with a number of posts, some of which have since been deleted.