The Dallas Cowboys have locked up defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. On Monday, the two sides agreed on a three-year extension worth $105.9 million, according to AP sources.
The deal includes $101 million in guaranteed money. It gets added on top of the two years left on his current contract. The extension averages $35.3 million per year. That is the second-highest average for a defensive tackle, behind only Jalen Carter of the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles.
With this deal, Williams could stay in Dallas through the 2030 season.
Read This:
Part of the Micah Parsons trade fallout
Williams came to the Cowboys during the 2025 season in a big trade. To get him, Dallas gave up one of the two first-round picks it had received when it sent star pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. That Parsons trade came just a week before last season’s opener and shocked the league.
Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones had said at the start of training camp that the team was working on an extension with Williams’ agents. Less than two weeks later, it was done. Jones said the deal was a big part of everything that came out of last year’s trade, and that it locks up Williams for the long term.
A big piece of a rebuilt defense
Williams gave an immediate lift to a Dallas defense that was one of the worst in the league in 2025. The Cowboys won their first three games after the trade. Then a 44-30 loss to Detroit started a rough stretch of four losses in five games, and Dallas missed the playoffs for the second straight year.
The offense was strong under coach Brian Schottenheimer, who finished his first season at 7-9-1. The defense was the problem. Dallas allowed the most points in franchise history (511) and had the fewest interceptions (six). That led to a full defensive makeover this offseason.
The Cowboys fired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus after one season and hired Christian Parker. They made another trade with Green Bay for pass rusher Rashan Gary. They drafted safety Caleb Downs and defensive end Malachi Lawrence in the first round. They also added cornerback Cobie Durant and safeties P.J. Locke and Jalen Thompson in free agency, plus linebacker help through the draft and a trade for Dee Winters.
Williams joins a group that includes fellow tackle Kenny Clark, who also came over in the Parsons deal, along with young pass rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku, linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, corners DaRon Bland and Shavon Revel Jr., and safety Malik Hooker.
Still chasing a first playoff game
Williams was the third overall pick by the New York Jets in 2019 and made All-Pro three years later. But he has never played on a winning team, and he has never played in an NFL playoff game. After the trade to Dallas, he made it clear that winning is what he wants most. Now he has a long-term deal and a rebuilt defense around him to try to make it happen.
