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Quinnen Williams has a change of heart about the New York Jets’ 2025 outlook

The New York Jets’ decision to release quarterback Aaron Rodgers this offseason ended a period of rare optimism for the franchise that yielded only more of what the team has had in abundance – disappointment.

After the Jets acquired the four-time NFL MVP in a trade with the Green Bay Packers in 2023, Rodgers got hurt in his first game with New York and missed the rest of the season. In 2024, Rodgers started every game, but the Jets went 5-12 to stretch the NFL’s longest playoff drought to 14 seasons.

Yet when Rodgers’ impending release was announced, New York defensive tackle Quinnen Williams tweeted, “Another rebuild year for me I guess,” which later was replaced by a thumbs-down emoji.

But Williams has had a change of outlook after working in the Jets’ offseason program with new coach Aaron Glenn.

“I definitely think it was an immature thing for me to do at the moment out of emotions, out of frustration,” Williams said on Wednesday. “It was definitely immature. And I hadn’t talked to Aaron previously. And just looking at it and trying to grow as a leader, trying to grow as a player, trying to grow as an adult, talking to him, talking to the staff and everybody else just gave me a super, super excitement and super, super confidence that we’re going in the right direction to win football games and to do the things that I want to do, like to change the whole narrative of the New York Jets’ losing streaks or the playoff streaks and different things like that because I was drafted here a long time ago and I was paid to help change this thing around. And I wear that with a badge of honor and like a cape to make sure that before I leave this game, the New York Jets are going to be on top. The New York Jets are going to be the football team to watch, so I kind of live there every single day, and I kind of want everybody around me to be there.

“So definitely back to that tweet, definitely it was an immature thing to do at the moment, and I’ve grown for that. Me and Aaron talked a lot about it. Me and (general manager Darren Mougey) talked about it a lot. Me and the coaching staff, we’re all on the same page and stuff like that, so I’ll take full accountability on that and definitely going in the right direction.”

The Jets added quarterback Justin Fields in free agency this offseason as Rodgers’ replacement. The 11th selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, Fields started 44 games for the Chicago Bears in his first three seasons. Fields started six games for the Pittsburgh Steelers last season after an offseason trade.

“A guy who can run extremely fast like that, a guy who can make bombs down the field, and the different great things that he brings to the aspect of game when it comes down to a dual-threat quarterback,” Williams said of Fields. “I feel like he’s one of the top five dual-threat quarterbacks or one of the top 10 dual-threat quarterbacks in the league right now. So the aspect of he’s probably one of the fastest people, I chased him a couple times today, and I was like, ‘Yeah, he’s fast.’ So I think that definitely brings excitement, and that’s his attitude on wanting to win also and wanting to show the world the things that he can do, that we all know he can do.”

Glenn took the reins for the Jets after spending the past four seasons as the defensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions.

“Hard-nosed football,” Williams said about what the new coach has brought to New York. “It’s one of those things that he believes in toughness, he believes in execution, he believes in being smart when it comes down to executing the plays and then not penalizing yourself. So his standard was set from Day 1, and it hasn’t been broken ever since he said it, so it’s one of those things that’s bleeding off to the captains, it’s bleeding off to everyone on the staff, everyone in the organization, everyone on the field, so it’s one of those things that I’m kind of super happy about and super proud about to carry.”

Williams’ seventh season with New York will be his third with a head coach starting his first season with the Jets, following Adam Gase in 2019 and Robert Saleh in 2021 (and not counting Jeff Ulbrich, who added interim head coach to his defensive-coordinator title when Saleh was fired five games into the 2024 season).

New York’s best record since Williams joined the Jets came in his rookie year at 7-9.

“It would be unfair of me to say it would be different or it’s going to be this way or that way,” Williams said about the outlook for another change at the top. “I just know right now in the moment it’s going in the right direction to win games by the standard that Coach has set for us, by the standard that he gave us and the path that he’s putting us on to be successful.

“It’s a long way to first game right now, but I feel like on the path that we’re going right now, it’s going to be successful if we just listen to him and follow his path. And the coaching staff also, I feel like all those guys are on the same page with teaching us and helping us get better as individuals first and then as a unit.”

Williams said he’s seeing how he can best contribute to the New York defense as he learns the scheme this offseason working with new defensive coordinator Steve Wilks and new position coach Eric Washington.

“I’m still learning,” Williams said, “and I’m still trying to see where I can be my best at and be myself at. I’m just enjoying the moment right now, enjoying learning, enjoying learning my new defensive-line coach and new head coach and new defensive coordinator. And just seeing what they see for me in my future and telling them what I feel like I’m good at, what I feel like I’m bad at. And they’re just telling me what I’m bad at and what I’m good at and just trying to get on the same page and go in the right direction.”

In 2024, Williams earned Pro Bowl recognition for the third season in a row. But the former Wenonah High School standout and Alabama All-American said he has a lot of work to do.

“A lot of mistakes, man,” Williams said of his 2024 season, “especially when it comes down to the run game and block-shedding and extension in my arms, finishing my pass rushes, pad level, different things like that that I kind of, I guess, struggled with last year and just want to be able to get better at and fine-tune some things, just so I can be a better player in those aspects.”

The Jets are in the final stage of their offseason work as they head toward mandatory minicamp on June 10-12, their final practices until training camp opens in late July.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

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

General

Le Creuset’s Signature Oval Dutch Oven is $175 off for Memorial Day

Those who have been eyeing a Le Creuset Dutch Oven for a while now have a chance to score one of their most iconic pieces for a $175 discount during Memorial Day weekend.

With this deal, you can snag the best-selling Le Creuset Signature Oval Dutch Oven for only $299 before it returns to its normal price of $475. This Le Creuset Dutch Oven comes in an impressive 22 color variations, all of which can be purchased for the same discount. However, three colors have already sold out.

Le Creuset Signature Oval Dutch Oven

475 $$299.99

The Le Creuset Signature Oval Dutch Oven is on sale during Memorial Day Weekend.

Buy Now

All features included in the Le Creuset Signature Oval Dutch Oven are as follows:

Enameled cast iron delivers superior heat distribution and retention
Ready to use, requires no seasoning
Easy-to-clean and durable enamel resists dulling, staining, chipping and cracking
Light colored smooth interior enamel allows easy monitoring of cooking progress
Tight-fitting lids are specially designed to circulate steam and return moisture back to the food
Ergonomic knobs and handles are designed for easy lifting
Lightest weight cast iron by quart on the market
Compatible with all cooktops and oven-safe up to 500°F

“The iconic Le Creuset Dutch Oven is indispensable in the kitchens of home cooks and professional chefs alike. Expertly crafted from enameled cast iron, the everyday versatility of the Dutch oven makes it ideal for everything from slow-cooking and braising to roasting, baking, frying and more. The oval shape is particularly suited for larger cuts of meat, whole chickens and for baking oval-shaped loaves of bread,” Le Creuset‘s product details state.

“Individually crafted by French artisans from the finest quality materials since 1925, the Le Creuset Dutch Oven is beloved for its perfected design and exceptional heat retention that locks in moisture and flavor to produce superior results from stove to oven to table. Designed for generations of durability, the easy-to-clean vibrant porcelain enamel requires no seasoning, minimizes sticking and is dishwasher-safe.”

Those interested in this deal can checkout the full listing on Le Creuset‘s website here.

General

UCLA-South Carolina free livestream: How to watch NCAA Softball Tournament Super Regional, TV, time

The No. 9 UCLA Bruins play against the No. 8 South Carolina Gamecocks in their NCAA Softball Tournament Super Regional today. The matchup will begin at 12 p.m. CT on ESPN 2. Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV Stream and Fubo TV. Alternatively, Sling offers a first-month discount to new users.

The Bruins played at a high level in their Regional, as they ended the bracket with a 3-0 record. Notably, the UCLA squad outscored their opponents 31-2.

In order to win the series opener today, the Bruins will need a great performance from their star player Jordan Woolery. She has a batting average above .400, and she currently leads the team with 82 RBI.

The Gamecocks also held a 3-0 record in their Regional, and they outscored their opponents 16-2.

In order to win this afternoon, the Gamecocks will need to rely on their star player Arianna Rodi. She leads the team with 17 home runs and 53 RBI this season, which highlights her offensive prowess.

Fans can watch the NCAA Softball Tournament Super Regional for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV Stream and Fubo TV. Alternatively, Sling offers a first-month discount to new users.

General

Country music singer, wife expecting another baby

Scotty McCreery and his wife are expecting.

The country music singer, known for his hit “Bottle Rockets,” and wife, Gabby McCreery, announced Thursday baby No. 2 is on the way.

“A new best friend coming this fall,” McCreery posted on Instagram, a reference to firstborn son Merrick Avery McCreery, 2, who was wearing a “Big Brother” shirt.

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.

General

Alabama’s expanded ‘don’t stay gay’ bill might not be dead after all

An Alabama lawmaker plans to bring back a bill next year that would prohibit all discussions of gender identity and sexuality during instructional time in public schools.

HB 244 got approval from the House on April 18 and from the Senate Education Policy Committee on May 1.

Sen. Donnie Chesteen, R-Geneva, chair of that committee, told Butler after the bill was approved that it is unlikely the Senate will pass it because of the timing and said it needed to be in his committee earlier in the year to have a chance of passage; at the time, there were four days left in the session.

A Democratic filibuster launched in protest of the House’s handling of local bills on the last day of the session doomed Butler’s bill and many others.

Butler said he was offended by Chesteen’s comment that he should have filed the bill sooner but said both men remedied that after the committee meeting. A message seeking comment from Chesteen was left Thursday afternoon.

More from Alabama Reflector

Butler filed the bill in February, but it did not go before the House Education Policy Committee until April 3, when the committee held a public hearing. The committee did not approve it until the following week. Butler said he asked Rep. Terri Collins, R-Decatur, chair of the committee, for it to be put on the agenda many times earlier in the session.

“I repeatedly asked for it, and I was assured it was coming, it was coming, it was coming,” he said. “The chair had other things she said she was dealing with, and I think they waited to deal with several controversial bills at one time.”

A message seeking comment from Collins was left Thursday afternoon.

Butler said next year he plans to have a companion bill in the Senate to improve the bill’s chances of passage, “so we can move on both at the same time, and whoever gets there first wins,” he said.

Butler said Sen. Keith Kelley, R-Anniston, was handling the bill in the Senate and plans to ask him to sponsor the Senate version next year. Kelley said in an interview that he and Butler will be meeting soon about companion bills for next session soon.

“There may be some changes to it, a little bit here, a little bit there,” Kelley said. “We’re planning on bringing that back next year.”

The law currently prohibits such discussions in K-5. Butler’s bill would expand it to pre-K-12, which he said would bring it inline with an executive order issued by President Donald Trump in January.

Critics of the bill said at the April 3 public hearing that the legislation is unconstitutional and unnecessary.

A spokesperson for the Southern Poverty Law Center, a consistent critic of the legislation, said in an interview Thursday she was relieved that the bill did not pass but she still had concerns for the legislation next year.

“I’m hoping that it stays dead, and I’m hoping that we don’t see a new extension, a revival of it,” Makhayla DesRosiers, state community organizer for the Alabama SPLC office, said.

Many members of the LGBTQ+ community spoke against the bill throughout the legislative process, all with similar concerns: what defines instructional time. DesRosiers said the lack of a definition opens the door for a complete prohibition of discussion.

“If I do extracurricular activities, is it also instructional time? If I’m learning something outside of my regular school hours, is that instructional time?” she asked. “Who gets to define instructional time?”

Butler has repeatedly said discussions of gender identity and sexuality are only prohibited when a teacher is teaching, but that is not explicit in the legislation.

“People keep saying the student can’t do this or that. No, they carry their First Amendment rights with them into the school, and they absolutely can talk to the teacher, the principal, the nurse, the counselor, about whatever they want to talk about,” he said.

Butler said the bill next year would be the original bill that was filed in February. A House amendment this spring removed a part of the bill that would have prohibited teachers from referring to students by their preferred gender if it conflicts with their assigned sex at birth. He said that is because another bill would have done the same thing.

HB 246, sponsored by Rep. Scott Stadthagen, R-Hartselle, would give public educators legal immunity and students immunity from discipline for using a person’s legal name and pronouns aligned with their reproductive organs, instead of the name and gender with which they identify. It did not receive final passage either.

DesRosier said that while the people speaking out against the legislation may be small in number, legislation like this is not reflective of the state.

“Just because there is a majority of folks that are proposing and voting on these bills at the State House, that is not reflective of the communities they are elected to represent,” DesRosier said. “As long as bigotry and hate and human rights violations are proposed and passed, there are always going to be folks that are resisting that.”

General

Who helped Amaris Williams gain the confidence to return back to Auburn football

As AL.com continues to highlight key players and coaches ahead of Auburn football’s 2025 season, defensive end Amaris Williams is aiming to have a breakout sophomore season.

After entering the transfer portal for a day back in December, Williams returns as a promising young pass rusher who can be used on the edge or at the buck linebacker position.

Ranked as the second-highest rated prospect behind Cam Coleman in Auburn’s 2024 recruiting class, Williams has huge expectations for himself this fall.

“I feel like, last year, my freshman year, I wasn’t doing right off the field like I was supposed to. That translated. I didn’t perform how I wanted to,” Williams said following Auburn’s A-Day.

“This year, I feel like I’m doing everything right, keeping on track, staying on track, doing what I was supposed to do. Springtime, I’ve been balling. I feel like this year; I’m going to be a big priority for the team.”

During his freshman season, Williams tallied six tackles, one and a half tackles for loss and half a sack in 10 games.

With the amount of depth on the Tigers defensive line, Auburn will replicate what they did last season and rotate players up front.

Fall camp will be vital for Williams to stand out like he did during the spring to secure his position on the field.

“Amaris Williams is really, really coming on,” Auburn coach Hugh Freeze said back in April.

Now with a season under his belt, Williams is seeing his own personal growth payoff for the better. Defensive line coach Vontrell King-Williams was huge in his offseason development.

“I had a bad attitude my freshman year. I didn’t like to listen. But you’ve got to listen. It comes with it,” Williams added.

“Coach Vontrell has been on me, been on my back, since I got here. Even though I wouldn’t do him right, he was always still coaching me and telling me right from wrong. He’s been teaching me different things that help me when I’m at home or just stuff that will help me better myself as a person in any situation.”

Now entering the 2025 season with a new attitude, Williams can focus on being a key piece to Auburn’s talented defense.

Jerry Humphrey III covers Auburn sports forAL.com. You can follow him on X at @Jerryhump3or email him at [email protected].

General

Huntsville grows again; annexes 27 acres near old Big Cove Road

Huntsville grew by another 27 acres Thursday night.

The City Council annexed the land west of Old Big Cove Road and north of Buford Drive. The annexation came at the request of Louis Breland, the founder of Breland Properties and Breland Homes.

Breland is the developer of Town Madison and Clift Farm. Single-family homes will be developed on the annexed property, City Manager of Planning and Zoning Services Thomas Nunez told the council.

The annexation is in one of the fastest growing areas of the city, and not far from the proposed Big Cove Village site on both the north and south sides of Cecil Ashburn Drive, and east and west of Old Big Cove Road.

Negotiations are still on the way at the site That property was annexed into the city last year. The Huntsville Planning Commission and City Council have already zoned the land, clearing the way for single family homes, townhomes, apartments, businesses and restaurants.

The city has also taken in more than 500 acres this year, most of it in Limestone County.

That includes a nearly 400-acre site near the Interstate 65-565 interchange across the interstate from the eastern edge of Decatur’s city limits. A development there would also be modeled after Providence and include a mixture of various housing types and retail.

District 1 City Councilwoman Michelle Watkins – a former school board member – has voiced concerns about that annexation and zoning, which was also approved this year. She is concerned about whether Huntsville City Schools can keep up with the increased enrollment from the growth.

That is also an issue in the Big Cove area where residents seek a new high school to keep students from having to make what they feel is a dangerous drive over the mountains to attend Huntsville High School near the downtown area.

General

What you need to know about Alabama’s severe storm threat this Memorial Day weekend

It looks like the weather in Alabama will be stormy at times over the Memorial Day weekend.

There will be one sunny day to enjoy first. Friday’s weather will be pleasant with low rain chances and partly cloudy skies, according to forecasts from the National Weather Service.

Things could change over the weekend, when several rounds of storms will be possible. However, it won’t rain all day, every day, and some parts of the state won’t get any rain at all.

Saturday and Sunday will have low chances of isolated severe storms, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

More storms may be possible on Monday and even beyond, but confidence in that happening was not high enough, yet, to include severe weather risks in the forecast.

The main threats with any strong storms that develop will be damaging winds gusts capable of toppling trees and power lines, hail and heavy rain. The tornado risk is low.

The National Weather Service said several rounds of storms will be possible over the holiday weekend and into early next week.

The most likely time for those storms to develop will be during the afternoon and evening hours.

The Storm Prediction Center is forecasting a Level 1 out of 5 (marginal) risk for severe weather for Saturday for most of west Alabama and parts of central and south Alabama (see the map at the top of this post for Saturday’s forecast).

The Level 1 risk area runs from northwest Alabama to the southeast and includes areas such as Florence, Birmingham, Talladega, Tuscaloosa, Montgomery, Auburn and Troy and points to the west.

Alabama’s coastal areas and the eastern part of the state are not included in the severe weather risk area but could also get some rain and storms on Saturday.

On Sunday there will be another Level 1 risk for Alabama, and Sunday’s risk area includes all of the state except the southwest corner (mainly Mobile and Baldwin counties).

Here’s the forecast for Sunday:

Nearly all of Alabama will have a Level 1 risk for severe weather on Sunday.Storm Prediction Center

The stormy weather pattern could continue into next week.

The weather service said it’s possible there could be additional risks for severe storms on Monday — and possibly beyond — but forecasters aren’t confident enough of that to add to the forecast yet.

General

Trump’s odds of winning the Nobel Peace Prize might surprise you

Only four U.S. presidents have won the Nobel Peace Prize: Theodore Roosevelt (1906), Woodrow Wilson (1919), Jimmy Carter (2002) and Barack Obama (2009).

UK oddsmakers have made President Donald Trump the favorite to win the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, while offshore sportsbooks list him as the second choice.

Ninety-seven percent of all bets on Oddschecker, the UK’s biggest betting aggregator, were placed on Trump in the first 24 hours the betting market went live last week.

Trump remains the slight +650 favorite to win the prestigious prize, which will be announced Oct. 10, over WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres, who are tied for the 7-1 second choice on Oddschecker.

“Since going live across Oddschecker on (May 14), Donald Trump to win the Nobel Peace Prize has been one of our most wagered bets,” Oddschecker spokesperson Leon Blackman said. “Bettors are quickly grabbing the (+650) odds available, as we expect these odds to drop if this support for the president persists.”

Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, is the 9-1 fourth favorite on Oddschecker and odds-on -200 favorite at BetOnline, where Trump is the +450 second choice.

“Trump’s odds were as low as 3-1 in early March, but around that time we kept seeing steady money come in on Navalnaya,” BetOnline.ag sportsbook manager Adam Burns said. “She had 10-1 odds then, but now is a scratch favorite with all the wagers coming on her.”

Assange, Guterres and broadcaster and biologist David Attenborough are tied for the 10-1 third pick at BetOnline.

Bovada, an offshore sportsbook that isn’t regulated in the U.S., lists Trump as the 5-1 second choice behind Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the 3-1 favorite.

The Nobel Committee announced that there have been 338 candidates nominated for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize: 244 individuals and 94 organizations. But it does not confirm the names of nominees to the media or to the candidates.

California Congressman Darrell Issa nominated Trump for the award this year, and New York Congresswoman Claudia Tenney nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize last year, mostly for his efforts to normalize relations between Israel, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates through the Abraham Accords, which were signed in 2020.

“Donald Trump was instrumental in facilitating the first new peace agreements in the Middle East in almost 30 years,” Tenney said. “The valiant efforts by President Trump in creating the Abraham Accords were unprecedented and continue to go unrecognized by the Nobel Peace Prize Committee, underscoring the need for his nomination.”

Betting on the Nobel Peace Prize isn’t permitted at U.S. sportsbooks.

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General

Woman sent to prison in kidnapping hoax that shocked nation changes her story again

Sherri Papini is walking back claims her kidnapping was a hoax in a new documentary series, saying instead that she was abducted by her ex-boyfriend and that she later lied about it out of fear.

“Haven’t you ever lied?” she asks. “Have you ever lied in your history of existence? And then has that lie been blown up and broadcast around the world?”

Papini posits the thought in a new four-part docuseries “Sherri Papini: Caught in the Lie,” set to premiere on Investigation Discovery on May 26 and streaming on Max.

The mother of two, now 42 years old and divorced, seemingly vanished on Nov. 2, 2016 while jogging along the Oregon Trail near her home in Redding, Calif. Her disappearance sparked a weeks-long search that concluded on Thanksgiving Day that year, when a passing motorist spotted Papini alongside the highway — partially bound, injured and with a brand on her shoulder.

Papini later told investigators she was captured by two Hispanic women at gunpoint and tortured during her weeks away. In reality, police said Papini was actually staying with her ex, James Reyes, nearly 600 miles away in Southern California’s Orange County.

In a clip of the upcoming series obtained by People, Papini said she concocted her story in an effort to cover up the affair she’d been having with Reyes, out of concern for what her then-husband would do if he found out. She added that she was abducted by Reyes when he learned she intended to end their tryst.

“I don’t remember if I got into the car,” she said. “I remember waking up briefly in the back of the vehicle and not being able to even keep my eyes open. And then the next time I woke up was when he was getting me out of the vehicle to go inside, and it was dark. He had one hand underneath my arm trying to help me walk.”

Papini was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison after admitting that she lied to investigators and that her kidnapping was a hoax. She was also ordered to pay more than $300,000 in restitution for losses incurred by the California Victim Compensation Board, the Social Security Administration, the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI.

After serving 11 months, Papini was released from prison in August 2023.

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