OXNARD, Calif. – On Monday, the Cowboys agreed to terms on a three-year, $105.9 million extension with Pro Bowl defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.
In an interview with DallasCowboys.com, Cowboys COO/co-owner Stephen Jones said that once Dallas traded a first-and second-round pick and Mazi Smith to the Jets for Williams, the plan was always to keep him in a Cowboys uniform beyond just two full seasons.
"When you make a trade like that, you're not looking for one- and two-year fixes," Jones said. "You want to get some things that are the foundation of your future. Certainly, now that solidifies that that he's a part of our foundation here for the next five years. Certainly seeing that be the case with more of these guys, but obviously we gave up a two and a one to get him. That's a big chunk of resources to put towards one player and to have him locked up for five years is a big deal."
Jones and the Cowboys view Williams as one of the cornerstones of the defense, and see the pieces that Dallas has assembled around him under new DC Christian Parker benefitting from his presence and the attention he demands.
"It's a big part of all the moving parts that went with our trade last year," Jones said. "I think this kind of, at the end of the day, puts a bow on top in terms of knowing that we're going to have Q here for the next five years long term, and have Kenny [Clark] out there rolling, the deal we made with Rashan Gary and how we used the pick on [Malachi] Lawrence. All these things, you can't say they were all tied to just that, but it's a big deal.
"And certainly he represents everything that we want in a Dallas Cowboys football player. He's not only a great football player, but he's a man, he's a leader who people in the locker room look to every day. I was just talking to Christian [Parker], he's the best player out on the field."
It's not just the on-field elements that Williams brings to the Cowboys that made Dallas want to keep him in tow for the next five seasons. Williams impressed off the field as a leader as well, and is part of the Cowboys leadership council in 2026.
"He's a great, great football player," Jones said. "Obviously one of the best depending on which one you look at, I know some people had him the best tackle in the NFL, some people had him three. He's a great football player. But then on top of that, he's just such an amazing individual. He's a great man off the field and he's a leader. He's a leader in that room, he's a leader of the defense. When you put all three of those things together, it makes a big difference."
Earlier during training camp, Williams said that he wanted to remain with the Cowboys long-term. From Jones' perspective, that was made obvious beyond what Williams said during a press conference.
"I think that's the case more times than not, maybe I'm naïve, but I do think it's the case more times than not that players want to play here, they want to be here," Jones said. "They really embrace the organization. Certainly it's great to see it, and certainly his actions spoke louder than words."
The Cowboys aren't strangers to getting deals done with their best players in Oxnard, and Williams' extension is the latest sign of that. Dallas also signed TE Jake Ferguson to an extension while in California last season. Could there be more on the way before the Cowboys head back to the Star towards the end of the month?
"Sure…" Jones said. "We've got guys that we'd like to talk to. Sometimes it's a fit and they want to dance, and then sometimes some people want to wait. There's multiple guys that we communicate with and see if there's anything that makes sense."
One question that may arise from Williams' extension is, 'What about George Pickens? Can they still afford to keep him in Dallas?'
The Cowboys will not be able to sign him to a long-term deal until after the final regular season game of the season in January 2027. Still, Jones says that when that time comes, the Cowboys want to keep Pickens around for longer than two years as well.
"That's the ultimate goal," Jones said. "So it's just a lot of moving parts that we've got to obviously keep playing option quarterback and we'll see where it takes us."
