Quinnen Williams, Cowboys agree to $105.9M extension
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- Quinnen Williams agreed to a three-year, $105.9 million extension with the Dallas Cowboys, including $101 million guaranteed, $63.35 million guaranteed at signing, and a $31.85 million signing bonus, per sources
- Williams now averages $35.3 million annually, the second-highest among defensive tackles behind only the Eagles' Jalen Carter ($38 million per year), ahead of Jeffery Simmons ($35.2M) and Chris Jones ($31.75M)
- The Cowboys acquired Williams from the Jets at last season's trade deadline for a 2026 second-round pick, 2027 first-round pick, and defensive tackle Mazi Smith; he is now signed through 2030
- Williams, 28, is a four-time Pro Bowler and 2022 first-team All-Pro who posted a career-best 12 sacks that year; in seven games post-trade last season he logged 20 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 33 quarterback pressures
- Executive VP Stephen Jones called Williams "one of the hardest practicing guys out there" and said the defense "didn't have a lot of leadership for the last couple of years" until Williams, Kenny Clark, and Rashan Gary arrived
- The Cowboys traded Osa Odighizuwa — who had signed a four-year, $80 million extension in March 2025 — to the 49ers for a third-round pick after deciding he didn't fit new defensive coordinator Christian Parker's scheme
Why it matters: The $35.3 million annual price tag on a roster that already extended Tyler Smith, Brandon Aubrey, Jake Ferguson, DaRon Bland, and Hunter Luepke in the past year compresses Dallas' future cap flexibility — a pressure CBS Sports' Pickens coverage already frames as likely making 2026 George Pickens' final Cowboys season. The Cowboys are betting $105.9 million that Williams' leadership and Parker' scheme maximize a defense that traded away their previous $80 million DT.
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