The Cowboys didn’t waste time giving Quinnen Williams his massive payday.
The ex-Jets star agreed to a three-year, $105.9 million contract extension Monday, with $101 million total guaranteed, making him one of the highest-paid defensive linemen in the league, according to multiple reports.
Williams also received $63.35 million guaranteed at signing.
It is the second-highest annual average value among defensive tackles at 35.3 million. Williams is now signed through 2030.
Williams, 28, was traded to Dallas last November after six-plus seasons with the Jets. He still had two years remaining on his previous contract.
The Cowboys made it clear during training camp that they were interested in extending Williams and things progressed quickly after that.
The Cowboys gave up a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick and defensive tackle Mazi Smith to acquire Williams at the deadline in hopes to bolster a struggling defense before missing the playoffs because of it.
The four-time Pro Bowler and First Team All-Pro in 2022 had just 2.5 sacks in 2025, but has always been an elite run-stopper. He made 53 tackles overalll and recorded nine of his 12 quarterback hits in his seven games for Dallas. Williams voiced an interest during training came in late July to committing to the owner Jerry Jones and the Cowboys.
“I definitely would love being here for the long haul, but I want to win, and that’s really the only thing I’m focused on is winning and getting this defense into the groove where we can win football games for this team,” Williams said.
Williams was selected No. 3 overall by the Jets in the 2019 NFL Draft. He grew frustrated with the Jets’ losing ways later in his tenure – having never made the playoffs. He admitted so after the trade to Dallas.
“As an ultra-competitor, I think anybody who’s going through many, many losses like I was going through, there’s going to be frustration,” he said at the time. “I know guys who go they whole life and they lose one game, they be frustrated. So, of course, I was frustrated, but the relationship that I had with [coach Aaron Glenn], the relationship with the GM Darren [Mougey], there, man, there’s still great relationships. They knew I was frustrated. I think the world knew I was frustrated being there so long and still losing.”
He will now try to get Dallas back to the playoffs after a two-year absence.
