Contract talk is always inevitable with the Dallas Cowboys and vice president Stephen Jones put Pro Bowl defensive tackle Quinnen Williams front and center when he said the team had already spoken to his agent about an extension.
And it’s well deserved and due, considering Williams’ statue as one of the league’s best tackles, his now below-market contract and the rising value at his position.
That Philadelphia Eagles signed Jalen Carter to a four-year, $152 million extension, including $106 million in guaranteed money, was not lost on Williams or the Cowboys.
Carter is now the highest paid tackle in the league with a contract with $38 million annually. He is followed by Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons at $35.2 million annually.
Both dwarf William’s deal, who will make $20.7 million 2026. He has a non-guaranteed year of $25.4 million in 2027.
“It’s just phenomenal to see the impact that my position, defensive tackle, is making,” said Williams, who joked with fellow Cowboys defensive tackle Kenny Clark about the days with top tackles made just $17 million annually.
As far as a new deal with the Cowboys is concerned, Williams said he is letting his agent Nicole Lynn handle that.
His focus is being where his feet are.
And that’s taking care of business in his first training camp with the Cowboys.
“I’m just truly enjoying being here, I’m enjoying being on the Dallas Cowboys,” said Williams who came to Dallas in a midseason trade with New York Jets last season. “First training camp, first time in Oxnard, first time kind of being in a sense where we can get better and trying to get better on defense, especially with the new guys coming in, with the new staff coming in.”
“You always see the teams that’re in the Super Bowl have d-tackles with Seattle, the Eagles and Kansas City in a few years. Those guys have been very effective and things like that. That’s all I focus on, just focus on bringing an impact to this team, bringing an impact to this defense and trying to get this team going in the right direction so another d-tackle will be in the Super Bowl.”
Williams made it clear that he wants to remain with the Cowboys long-term and would welcoming a contract extension.
“For sure, man,” Williams said. “Especially being here with these guys, man. You’ve got a phenomenal group, a phenomenal staff, organization wise, it’s unbelievable. And then having guys that you can call and lean on, like DeMarcus Ware is one of my guys, it’s unbelievable man. Like I said, I’m not focused on no contract, I definitely want to be here for the long haul, I definitely would enjoy and love being here for the long haul, but I want to win, and that’s kind of the only thing I’m really focused on.”
Williams said he was sold on being with the Cowboys on Day 1 after the 2025 trade.
“When somebody believes in you, to know that, ‘Okay, you’re one of the guys I feel like you can help us win and help us achieve the goal that we always want to achieve’,” Williams said. “So as soon as I got traded, I wanted to be here, I wanted to be here for the long haul. I didn’t want to just come and play around, I want to be here and win, I want to win for the organization.”
The Cowboys are just as sold on Williams. He is best player on the defense and considered one of the top tackles in the league.
But his character and leadership are just as important to the Cowboys. He has been named to the team’s leadership council, per coach Brian Schottenheimer.
“Yeah, how much he loves football,” Schottenheimer said when asked what he has learned about Williams outside of him being a great player. “He’s an incredible teammate. He’s one of the most, I would say, humble superstars I’ve ever been around. He truly is. I think being in New York and unfortunately not being a part of playoff teams. He’s to the point in his career where it’s not about money, it’s not about sacks, it’s about wins. And I love that because when you combine that with certain guys like Dak Prescott and other players, that’s what they want to lead the league in is wins. And he’s just an awesome family man. Great teammate, but the player speaks for itself.”
The Cowboys are counting on his burning desire to win to help put them over the top.
Williams never made the playoffs during his time with the Jets.
The Jets went 31-65 in the regular-season games that Williams played for them from 2019 through his trade to the Cowboys in November 2025.
“As a competitor, I want to win it all,” Williams said. “I’ve competed in this sport, I’m an ultimate competitor, and I want to win every single game if I can. I was bred to win from coach Saban, and doing things that we can do at [Alabama], and I want to bring the same mentality especially to this defense, because our offense has that mentality.”
“I want to win for not only me, myself personally, but guys like Dak Prescott who works his tail off and has been here 10 years and deserves a Super Bowl,” Williams said. “And guys like CeeDee [Lamb], who’s a five-time Pro Bowler and been here for five years, and who deserves a Super Bowl.”
Prescott pointed out during minicamp that Williams had never been to the playoffs in his career. He said he told him he would help him get to the playoffs if Williams helps him win in the playoffs and get to the Super Bowl.
It’s part of mutual bond and mutual respect between the two players who are the unquestioned leaders on both sides of the football.
Williams mentioned Prescott’s name several times during a 12-minute interview on Tuesday.
He said he knows first hand from his experience with the Jets what’s like to have the pressure to win fall on one person’s shoulders. He wants help to Prescott out. He has his back on defense.
“I appreciate how hard he works,” Williams said. “Not just talking about it, just by example, and how hard he put his on the line for not only himself, but everybody in his organization. I’ve been a part of learning that, where you kind of got to carry the weight of the team on your back. When I got here, I kind of seen it through him, and I kind of knew the position that he was in and wanted to be able to kind of take some of that pressure off him that…bro, ‘we got you too’. Like, ‘we here as a defense, and were gonna help you carry this thing to the right direction’. That’s kind of the mindset I’m going in this training camp with and trying to lead this defense with because I know that’s the mindset that he got. He’s gonna lead the offense in the right direction.”
