The Dallas Cowboys have reached an agreement with star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams on a mammoth extension, the team announced Monday. Specifically, it's a three-year, $105.9 million deal that will make Williams one of the highest-paid defensive linemen in the NFL, according to NFL Media.
Williams receives $101 million in total guarantees, including $63.35 million fully guaranteed at signing, per ESPN. That is the most guaranteed at signing for a defensive tackle in NFL history. His $35.3 million in average annual value ranks him just above Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons ($35.27 million) and behind Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter ($38 million) for the second-richest in the league, per Over the Cap.
Williams and the Cowboys had reportedly been circling around this extension as training camp unfolded and, in a deviation from how previous negotiations have gone down with Jerry Jones, Dallas is getting out in front of locking the 28-year-old down. Under his previous deal (which was signed when he was a member of the New York Jets), the former All-Pro was under team control through the 2027 season, but the guarantees within the deal ran dry after this season.
| Highest-paid interior DL in NFL | Average annual value |
|---|---|
Jalen Carter (Eagles) | $38 million |
Quinnen Williams (Cowboys) | $35.3 million |
Jeffery Simmons (Titans) | $35.27 million |
$31.75 million |
This furthers the investment the Cowboys are making with Williams after acquiring him in the midst of the 2025 season in a blockbuster trade with the Jets. Dallas landed Williams in exchange for defensive tackle Mazi Smith, a second-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and a conditional first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft (highest between the Cowboys and Packers picks).
This Williams extension is also just the latest in the Cowboys' concerted effort to fix the defense. On top of this extension, Dallas used its two first-round picks at the 2026 NFL Draft on defense, selecting Ohio State safety Caleb Downs at No. 11 overall and UCF edge rusher Malachai Lawrence at No. 23 overall. They also acquired linebacker Dee Winters in a trade with the 49ers, while signing the likes of edge rusher Rashan Gary, safety Jalen Thompson, and corner Cobie Durant in free agency.
This comes after a 2025 season in which the Cowboys' defense was among the worst in the NFL across the board. That includes allowing a league-worst 30.1 points per game.
| Cowboys defense in 2025 | Stat | NFL Rank |
|---|---|---|
PPG | 30.1 | Last |
Total YPG | 377.0 | 30th |
Pass YPG | 251.5 | Last |
3rd down percentage | 47.3% | Last |
Takeaways per game | 0.7 | 30th |
Clearly, the Cowboys see Williams as a part of the solution to bring them out of the basement and back into playoff contention. Specifically, he should help improve a Dallas run defense that allowed 24 rushing scores in 2025 (tied with Buffalo for most in the NFL). Last season, Pro Football Focus gave Williams a 91.7 run defense grade, which ranked No. 1 among interior defensive linemen.
Williams entered the NFL as the third overall pick of the Jets in 2019 and has established himself as one of the top defensive tackles in the NFL. Overall, he was named a first-team All-Pro in 2022, and the Alabama product has received a Pro Bowl nomination in each of the past four seasons. Last season between Dallas and New York, he registered 53 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 12 quarterback hits.
