Jonah Williams On Switch To RT: “Happy To Be A Contributor”

Despite his trade request earlier this offseason, Bengals OT Jonah Williams seems to have accepted a move to the right side and likely staying in Cincinnati for the 2023 season. 

“I’ll be happy to be a contributor on a team where I have so many great teammates,” Williams said via Geoff Hobson of the team website. “l love everyone in the room, love the coaches, love the fans. I’m stoked.”

The Bengals spent major money to sign LT Orlando Brown Jr. in free agency this offseason. That pushed Williams to the right side where he’ll now be learning a new position and competing with veteran RT La’el Collins in a contract year, which he understandably wasn’t thrilled about. 

Cincinnati had some trade discussions regarding Williams with other teams, including with the Jaguars right before the draft. They didn’t get enough to pull the trigger on a deal, however. 

Both Williams and Collins are coming off season-ending knee injuries — dislocated kneecap for Williams and ACL for Collins — so the Bengals likely saw value in having extra depth. Williams said the transition to the right side along with his rehab is going well and he expects to be ready for training camp. 

“(The biggest adjustment) is re-learning everything for the other side of your body. Opposite stance. Post leg is your kick leg and vice versa and all that. It’s nothing that reps and practice won’t get me used to,” he said. “…The last time I played right tackle was freshman year in college. There’s a lot of technique to kind of unlearn and switch to the other side. It’s my job. I love it. I’ve got a great coach, great teammates, and I’m grinding my ass off. I’m going to crush it.”

Williams, 25, was selected by the Bengals in the first round out of Alabama in 2019. He played out the final year of a four-year, $17,630,162 rookie contract that included a $10,841,936 signing bonus.  

The Bengals exercised Williams’ fifth-year option which will cost them $13.2 million fully guaranteed for the 2023 season. Williams will be an unrestricted free agent in 2024. 

In 2022, Williams appeared in 16 games for the Bengals and made 16 starts at left tackle. Pro Football Focus had him rated as the No. 61 tackle out of 81 qualifying players.