Will McDonald IV joins rare Jets company with four-sack breakout
Will McDonald IV carried a determined mindset into the Jets' clash against the Browns, promising himself to stay relentless from start to finish. His words came to life as he delivered an outstanding four-sack performance in the Jets’ 27–20 victory, securing a game ball and etching his name alongside John Abraham (2001) and Mark Gastineau (1983 and 1984) as the only players in franchise history to achieve such a feat.
“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.”
Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn confirmed that McDonald’s confidence and consistency were visible early in the week.
“He’s very relentless and he actually said that to the players in there ’cause he had said something to me during the week,” Glenn noted. “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 — be relentless and go make plays — he went out there and he did that.”
McDonald, who had only one sack since the season opener, rediscovered his spark on Sunday. His persistence paid off in every rep, proving that effort and timing can decide the outcome of a game.
“I’ve been relentless since the beginning of the season,” he said. “Nothing wants to stand in front of you when you just keep being relentless the whole time. Eventually, they’re gonna move out of the way.”
“I was just taking advantage of those opportunities that I had,” McDonald added. “You gotta take advantage of that one rep. Maybe that one rep is gonna change the game.”
Author’s Summary
Will McDonald IV lived up to his own message of relentlessness, producing a historic four-sack performance that placed him among the Jets’ all-time great pass rushers.