New York Jets coach Robert Saleh has canceled next week’s mandatory minicamp, and he provided his reasons on Tuesday. But a benefit of the schedule change is the NFL team avoided the possibility of butting heads with All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.

Williams said at the end of the 2022 season that he would not attend the Jets’ offseason program without a contract extension. And he hasn’t.

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But attendance at almost all the offseason program is voluntary. The exception is the mandatory minicamp, when attendance is required.

Players who do not attend the three days of practice can be fined — $16,459 for missing one practice, $32,920 for missing a second practice and $49,374 for missing a third practice for a total of $98,753 for missing all three days.

“We’ll just have to see when it comes down to that time,” Williams said when asked in January if he would continue to stay away if he didn’t have a new contract by the time the required dates arrived.

New York was scheduled to wrap up its offseason program with mandatory minicamp on June 13-15. Instead, the Jets have practices set for Thursday and Friday before starting their summer break.

“With the Hall of Fame Game, we’re reporting a week earlier than everybody else, and guys need to get away,” Saleh said. “We’ve been here. They’ve put in a really good offseason, all the guys have since April, so April, May, June. Just to give the guys their extra week to go take their break because you need a week off and then you got to rev back up to get ready for the season. And having this extra week, taking the week off, then the Fourth, there’s just a lot of things that can mess up the flow. But we’ll pick it up and we’ll regain it once we get back for the Hall of Fame Game.”

The Jets are scheduled to play the Cleveland Browns in the annual opener to the NFL’s preseason on Aug. 3 in Canton, Ohio.

Williams is scheduled to play the 2023 season for $9.594 million after the Jets picked up their option for a fifth season on his rookie contract during the offseason last year.

“I just want to be compensated for what I am,” Williams said when announcing his plan to skip the team’s offseason program without a multi-year deal.

Since Williams said that, three defensive tackles have signed long-term deals:

· The Tennessee Titans signed Jeffery Simmons to a four-year, $94 million contract that included a $24 million signing bonus and $59.33 million in guaranteed money.

· The Washington Commanders signed former Alabama standout Daron Payne to a four-year, $90 million contract that included a $28 million signing bonus and $58.01 million in guaranteed money.

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· The New York Giants signed Dexter Lawrence to a four-year, $87.5 million contract that included a $22 million signing bonus and $60 million in guaranteed money.

The most lucrative contract held by an NFL defensive tackle belongs to Aaron Donald, who is entering the final season of a three-year, $95 million deal with the Los Angeles Rams.

“I speak for everyone — I probably speak for Quinnen — in that we all want it to get done sooner rather than later,” Saleh said on Tuesday. “But again, I’ll let the business guys handle all of that stuff.

“But it’s going to get done. He’ll be here for camp. He’ll be ready to roll. And once he is, I’m sure he’ll be the same guy he was a year ago.”

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In his fourth season, Williams finished second among the NFL’s defensive interior linemen with 12 sacks in 2022. Williams also recorded career highs with 12 tackles for loss, 28 quarterback hits and four pass breakups and equaled career highs with 55 tackles, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

Like Payne, Williams is a Crimson Tide alumnus, and both players also are former Alabama high school stars – Payne at Shades Valley and Williams at Wenonah.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.