BEREA -- As soon as the Cleveland Browns found out that linebacker Devin Bush was signing with the Bears, the Browns quickly pivoted to a linebacker who has played at an All-Pro level with the Browns new defensive coordinator.
Quincy Williams said he had not even thought what would happen in free agency until he received a call from Browns defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg.
"I ain't really had no thought on it until Monday," Williams said on a Zoom call on Friday. "And when I first got that call, the crazy thing, the first person that called me was Rudy (Rutenberg)."
Williams made it clear that Rutenberg was a big draw for him.
Quincy and DC Mike Rutenberg have some history together pic.twitter.com/uP0Q6p2os9
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) March 13, 2026
"Oh, that's my dog," Williams said. "He's like my brother. First thing before we talk about football, the biggest thing is Rudy cares about the heart. Biggest thing, what I did off the field affects what I do on the field. So that's what he wanted to tackle both things as far as like what I do on the field so I can show up as myself, show up as this personality, always smiling as me, show up every single day at work like that.
"So he cares about that a lot," he said. "And then on the field, as long as he takes care off the field, on the field should be easy. So he says that all the time. That's his biggest thing. But on the field, taught me every single thing I knew as far as like the linebacker positions in the league was with me, the three teams I've been on."
Williams was with Rutenberg with the Jaguars and then with the Jets. Under Rutenberg, Williams had his best seasons, including four-straight seasons with over 100 tackles. He started 73 of 78 games and was a first-team All-Pro in 2023 when he had a career-best 139 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, two sacks, an interception, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and 10 passes defensed. He has 10 forced fumbles for his career.