Will McDonald IV joins rare Jets company with four-sack breakout

Will McDonald IV had a message for Aaron Glenn during the week.

“I just told him I was gonna keep being relentless,” McDonald said. “Move forward with that, from the beginning of the season to the end of the season. Simple.”

He was four-sack relentless in Jets 27, Browns 20, and earned himself a game ball.

Only John Abraham (2001) and Mark Gastineau (1983 and ’84) had accomplished as much in franchise history.

“He’s very relentless and he’s actually said that to the players in there ’cause he had said something to me during the week,” Glenn said. “I have a lot of belief in that player, and for him to come out and do exactly what he said he’s gonna do during the week is be relentless and go make plays, he went out there and he did that.”

Will McDonald IV sacks Dillon Gabriel during the Jets’ Nov. 9 win against the Browns. Robert Sabo for the NY Post

McDonald recorded two sacks in the opener and had only one since then until Sunday.

Suddenly, he has seven.

“There was no difference. I’ve been relentless since the beginning of the season,” he said. “Don’t nothing want to stand in front of you when you just keep being relentless the whole time. Eventually they’re gonna move up out of the way.”

This was a different kind of relentless.

Will McDonald IV celebrates after a sack during the Jets’ Nov. 9 win against the Browns. Robert Sabo for the NY Post

“I was just taking advantage of those opportunities that I had,” McDonald said. “You gotta take advantage of that one rep. Maybe that one rep is gonna change the game. For me, like I said, just keep being relentless. Everything’s gonna come together as a defense, and we’re gonna keep winning games like that.”

The Jets wisely rebuffed trade inquiries for McDonald during a week when they unloaded Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams.

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Remember, Williams recorded 10.5 sacks in 2024.

“I appreciate everything that Quinnen did for this organization, especially for the D-line. He definitely got me right,” McDonald said. “He was teaching me a lot of things, just in case if I was inside, how to rush here, how to rush there. Sauce, he was always one of them guys that you just, like, wanted to be around.

“It was kinda heartbreaking to see them leave, but I think we’re just gonna continue to carry on with things we have now, just keep trusting the process.

“All the people in this locker room, all we gotta do is believe in each other, so I think we’ll be just fine.”