Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams has been named a team captain for the Jets, New York coach Robert Saleh said on Friday.

Williams joins Justin Hardee and fellow Alabama alumnus C.J. Mosley as the Jets’ captains for the 2023 NFL season.

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New York elevated Williams to captain status because quarterback Aaron Rodgers, one of the original captains, is on injured reserve after tearing an Achilles tendon during the first game of the season.

“He was fourth on the vote list (for captain before the season),” Saleh said, “and it was really high. He got a significant amount of votes. After just thinking about it, I was like, ‘Why not?’

“The guy is such a big vocal leader in his room and on this team. He says all the right things, he does all the right things and stands for everything that we believe in.”

Williams and Mosley are among the 14 Alabama alumni who are serving as permanent captains for NFL teams in the 2023 season. The other team captains from the Crimson Tide include:

· Defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, Washington Commanders

· Running back Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans

· Quarterback Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

· Safety Eddie Jackson, Chicago Bears

· Safety Kareem Jackson, Denver Broncos

· Running back Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders

· Quarterback Mac Jones, New England Patriots

· Center Ryan Kelly, Indianapolis Colts

· Safety Xavier McKinney, New York Giants

· Wide receiver DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles

· Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins

· Quarterback Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers

Williams and Mosley are former Alabama prep stars – Williams at Wenonah and Mosley at Theodore.

Even though Rodgers got hurt, the Jets defeated the Buffalo Bills 22-16 in overtime in the season-opener. But with Zach Wilson stepping in at quarterback, New York has scored 10 points in both games since and lost to the Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots.

“I don’t think it’s frustration at all,” Williams said on Wednesday about the team’s mood. “I think it’s a lot of urgency. Trying to get things corrected, trying to get things on the right path, trying to get things to the way we know we can be as a team, we know we can be as a defense. I think it’s not stress, not panic, not frustration, but urgency to get everything right so we can win football games.”

The Jets’ next chance to do that comes at 7:20 p.m. CDT Sunday, when the Kansas City Chiefs come to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Kansas City won the Super Bowl last season and has won its past two games after kicking off the campaign with a 21-20 loss to the Detroit Lions.

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New York started the season with high expectations after the acquisition of Rodgers, a four-time NFL Most Valuable Player Award winner. But the offense’s performance without him has the vultures circling the Jets’ 2023 season already.

“You just keep it outside man,” Williams said. “Like, we know people going to come up with all kinds of stuff, all kind of foolery just to turn us against each other because it’s been happening all five of my years being here. People coming up with rumors and different things about the locker room and what’s being said in the locker room. But nobody is on this team and nobody knows what really goes on in this locker room but us.

“Handling it our way, keeping everything in, ignoring the outside noise is our main focus. The focus is on each other because this is a team, we are a family. We got to have each other’s backs no matter what.”

The Chiefs-Jets game will be televised by NBC.

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