The Dallas Cowboys have signed veteran defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to a three-year contract extension valued at $105.9 million, extending his tenure with the team through the 2030 NFL season. The deal, agreed to before the start of the 2026 season, positions Williams as one of the highest-paid defensive tackles in the league.
Williams' new agreement includes $101 million in guaranteed money, with $63.35 million guaranteed at signing, along with a $31.85 million signing bonus. The four-time Pro Bowl selection was acquired by the Cowboys via a trade from the New York Jets prior to the deadline last season. At the time of the trade, Williams was playing under a four-year, $96 million extension with $66 million guaranteed, which he signed with the Jets in 2023.
The trade sent Williams and cornerback Sauce Gardner to different teams as the Jets continued a rebuilding process. In exchange for Williams, the Jets received a second-round pick in 2026, a 2027 first-round pick, and defensive tackle Mazi Smith.
With this extension, the Cowboys have secured a key defensive player through the 2030 campaign, a priority that executive vice president Stephen Jones highlighted at the beginning of training camp. Williams now joins an elite group of defensive tackles earning an average of over $30 million per season, including Jalen Carter of the Philadelphia Eagles, Jeffery Simmons of the Tennessee Titans, and Chris Jones of the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Cowboys have also committed significant resources to their defensive line elsewhere, signing fellow defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa to a four-year, $80 million extension. The team's defensive front also includes Kenny Clark, acquired in a trade with the Green Bay Packers, and former Packers defensive end Rashan Gary, who joined the team as a free agent. This revamped unit is expected to complement the Cowboys' offense, which showed strong performance in head coach Brian Schottenheimer's first year in 2025.
In his seven games with the Cowboys last season, Williams recorded 21 combined tackles, 1.5 sacks, three tackles for loss, and nine quarterback hits. Over his career, he has amassed 343 combined tackles, including 62 for loss, and 41.5 sacks. He also forced eight fumbles and earned a First Team All-Pro selection in 2022 with the Jets, when he recorded 12 sacks.