Jets' Williams charged with criminal possession of weapon

New York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams was arrested Thursday night while attempting to board a flight at New York's LaGuardia Airport and charged with criminal possession of a weapon, Port Authority Police told Rich Cimini of ESPN.

Authorities later said the weapon wasn't loaded, according to Cimini. Williams is set to appear in court March 25 and will be formally charged at that point. He has a permit for the gun in Alabama.

The incident occurred around 9:15 p.m. ET. The defensive lineman was processed by the Port Authority Police Department and the matter was to be handled by the Queens district attorney upon his release.

"We have been in contact with Quinnen Williams and are fully aware of the situation, a Jets spokesperson said in a statement, per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. "We will have no additional comment as this is a pending legal matter."

Williams' arrest was similar to that of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Da'Quan Bowers in 2013. Bowers was arrested at LaGuardia for carrying a loaded gun and was charged with criminal possession of a weapon. He later pled guilty to a reduced charge of disorderly conduct that carried no jail time.

The 22-year-old Williams was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft after a standout career at Alabama. He finished his rookie season with 28 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and one fumble recovery in 13 games with the Jets.