The Dallas Cowboys completed a pair of trades before the NFL trade deadline, first acquiring linebacker Logan Wilson from the Cincinnati Bengals and then landing defensive tackle Quinnen Williams in a much larger deal with the New York Jets.
The Cowboys traded a 2027 first-round pick, a 2026 second-rounder and defensive tackle Mazi Smith — a former first-round selection himself — to the Jets in exchange for Williams, who is widely regarded as one of the best interior defenders in football.
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However, there is a major caveat that everyone seems to be missing when it comes to Dallas’ acquisition of Williams: it’s that the three-time Pro Bowler barely has any guaranteed money coming to him after 2025.
Williams is under contract through 2027, but he is slated to make only $5 million in guarantees next season and does not have any guaranteed cash on his slate for the final year of his deal.
This is partially why the Jets traded Williams to begin with. Williams asked the team to restructure his contract before the start of the 2025 campaign, but New York declined, via Connor Hughes of SNY.
The 27-year-old wants a new deal, and this trade will be Micah Parsons all over again in Dallas. It definitely casts a shadow on the situation
Williams is a terrific player, but it’s also fairly obvious that he is not quite the same force he was back in 2022 when he racked up 55 tackles, 12 sacks and 28 quarterback hits en route to a First-Team All-Pro selection. He totaled 11.5 sacks combined in 2023 and 2024, and through eight games this season, Williams has managed just one sack and three quarterback hits.
Is the former No. 3 overall pick already declining? He is still young enough that the Cowboys shouldn’t have to worry about that, but his dip in production over the last several years is certainly concerning. Couple that with the fact that Dallas may have to rework his deal to get him some more guaranteed money, and it could create some problems.
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Dallas definitely needs to bolster its defense, which ranks 31st in the NFL. Acquiring Williams should certainly help the team do that. But there is no doubt that Williams’ contract situation is an issue that the Cowboys will have to manage going forward.
The Cowboys are 3-5-1 and have a bye this week. They will face the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday, Nov. 17.
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