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The Cowboys have opened the door to a long-term Quinnen Williams extension, but their usual patient approach to negotiations may have strengthened his leverage
Aug 5, 2026 at 2:35 pm ET • 7 min read
"The early bird catches the worm" does not apply to the Dallas Cowboys' typical approach to veteran contract negotiations. That's why it was surprising when Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones told reporters at the start of training camp that he had spoken to defensive tackle Quinnen Williams' agent, Nicole Lynn, about a contract extension.
"We're very open to that," Jones said. "We want Quinnen here for the long haul. Obviously, we have a lot of resources tied up in him. … Certainly, he's at the top of the list in terms of people we want to keep around here long term."
The feeling is mutual as Williams wants to stay in Dallas. He said his focus is more on winning than on a new contract.
Williams, who is 28, has two years remaining on the four-year, $96 million contract extension he signed with the New York Jets in 2023. He is scheduled to make $21.75 million this year and $25.5 million in 2027.
The Cowboys rarely extend players when there are two years left on a contract. Most notably, running back Ezekiel Elliott forced Dallas' hand with a lengthy training camp holdout in 2019. The Cowboys made offensive guard Tyler Smith the NFL's highest-paid interior offensive lineman last September, shortly after the 2025 regular season started, with a four-year, $96 million extension.
Why waiting made Williams more expensive
Despite a more accelerated negotiating timetable by Dallas standards, the Cowboys are still being reactive instead of proactive with Williams. The top of the interior defensive lineman market had been stagnant ever since Chris Jones signed a slightly backloaded five-year deal averaging $31.75 million per year with the Kansas City Chiefs in March 2024.
It should have been apparent that a market reset was forthcoming. The gap between the highest-paid edge rusher and the highest-paid interior defensive lineman widened significantly, with the top of the edge rusher market collectively moving 36.76% in 2025 from $34 million per year to $46.5 million per year. The difference between the top of these two markets was 46.46% at the start of the offseason. It was 7.09% when Jones signed his contract.
| Jalen Carter | Eagles | New extension | $38 million | Current top of the interior defensive line market |
| Jeffery Simmons | Titans | New extension | $35.276 million | Likely salary floor for Williams in negotiations |
| Chris Jones | Chiefs | New contract | $31.75 million | Reset the top of the market before the latest wave of deals |
| Dexter Lawrence | Bengals | One-year extension | $28 million | Topped Jordan Davis and pushed the market another step higher |
| Jordan Davis | Eagles | New extension | $26 million | Helped signal Philadelphia's willingness to reset the market early |
| Quinnen Williams | Cowboys | Current deal | $24 million | His existing contract is now well below the top of the market |
The contrast with Philadelphia is hard to miss
The Philadelphia Eagles have historically been one of the league's most proactive teams in signing players to contract extensions. Philadelphia began locking up core players well in advance of free agency during Joe Banner's tenure as team president, a practice that included the Eagles advancing to five NFC Championship Games and one Super Bowl in an eight-year span during the 2000s.
It has continued under GM Howie Roseman, who has seen the Eagles win Super Bowl LII and Super Bowl LIX while guiding the front office after regaining power following coach Chip Kelly's firing towards the end of the 2015 season.
Roseman promptly extended the contracts of offensive tackle Lane Johnson and tight end Zach Ertz, Philadelphia's 2013 first- and second-round picks, in January 2016, before that season's playoffs ended. More recently, the Eagles gave wide receiver DeVonta Smith, 2021's 10th overall pick, a new deal in April 2024.
Roseman also stunned the NFL world by upgrading the three-year, $37.75 million contract (worth up to $46.75 million through incentives and salary escalators) for Saquon Barkley after his first season in Philadelphia. Barkley became the league's first $20 million-per-year running back in March 2025 when he signed a two-year, $41.2 million extension, worth up to $56.2 million through incentives and salary escalators.
Because of this, Dallas should have anticipated a contract extension for Jalen Carter, whom the Eagles selected ninth overall in 2023's NFL Draft, and tried to get ahead of it. After Roseman briefly made Jordan Davis the NFL's highest-paid nose tackle with a three-year, $78 million extension in March, it should have been apparent that the same was going to be done for Carter with the interior defensive linemen generally when he signed a new deal.
Jones' public comments about being interested in a Williams deal were on the heels of Carter's new contract. Carter signed a four-year, $152 million extension with $106.9 million in guarantees, a record for interior defensive linemen.
Why Williams has leverage beyond performance
The Cowboys didn't give a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick, and defensive tackle Mazi Smith, who was a 2023 first-round pick, to the New York Jets last November at the trade deadline for Williams to be a short-term rental. Williams made his presence felt after the trade. His 16.3% pressure rate led interior defensive linemen beginning with when he first took the field for the Cowboys in Week 11, according to the NFL's Next Gen Stats. Per Pro Football Focus, Williams had the second-best run stop percentage for interior defensive linemen at 14%.
The Cowboys helped address a logjam on the interior of the defensive line by trading Osa Odighizuwa to the San Francisco 49ers for a 2026 third-round pick in March. That was the optimal time to begin contract discussions with Williams.
The draft capital to obtain Williams already gave him substantial contract leverage. The Odighizuwa trade gave Williams more leverage. Shortly thereafter, Dallas announced there wouldn't be negotiations for a long-term deal with wide receiver George Pickens, who was given a $27.298 million franchise tag.
Making Williams an early offseason priority may have meant a new deal for just over $34 million per year, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback on the team ahead of wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and establishing a new salary benchmark for interior defensive linemen. An unanticipated intervening event was the Tennessee Titans giving Jeffery Simmons, who is 29, a three-year, $105.8 million extension in June. His $60.2 million fully guaranteed at signing is the most ever for an interior defensive lineman. Simmons had two years remaining on his contract, just like Williams has now.
There's another defensive tackle deal on the horizon that could impact Williams' negotiations. The Seahawks are reportedly trying to get something done with Leonard Williams. He is in a contract year. Seattle will have a hard time putting a franchise tag on Williams next year because it will cost $35.5 million with the way the 120% of prior year's salary provision works for these purposes.
The practical inability to keep Williams from hitting the open market next March, as well as his performance, gives him some negotiating leverage. Since Williams isn't showing any signs of slowing down, even though he is 32 years old, he can make a case for being paid at the top of the market. Williams was named a first-team All-Pro by the Pro Football Writers of America, which is one of the three media outlets approved in the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement for honors incentives, last season. He was also recently named the NFL's best defensive tackle in an ESPN poll of league executives, coaches and scouts.
The agent factor matters
It wouldn't be surprising for Lynn to insist on Williams becoming the NFL's highest-paid defensive tackle, whether that's by topping Carter or by securing a new Williams deal with Seattle. There is enough evidence of players who were acquired for significant draft capital that didn't sign new deals in connection with the trade, like Williams, ultimately becoming the highest-paid player at their respective positions. This has occurred with safety Jamal Adams, cornerback Jalen Ramsey and twice for offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil since the 2020 CBA was ratified.
Lynn is on a negotiating roll this year. She made Houston Texans edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. the NFL's first $50 million per year non-quarterback in April. Bijan Robinson just reset the running back market through a three-year, $66.75 million extension with the Atlanta Falcons. Performance bonuses (incentives and/or salary escalators) make the deal worth up to $75 million. Lynn will likely want to keep the market setting streak going with Williams.
Whether Williams gets there or not, the Simmons deal instantly became his salary floor when it was done. At worst, the Cowboys will likely need to make Williams the NFL's second-highest-paid defensive tackle, setting a new standard for fully guaranteed money at signing. Williams got just over 2% more than Simmons when they both did deals in 2023. Doing the same again would essentially be $36 million per year.
Even though Dallas missed the window to get their best deal on Williams, there should be enough motivation for a timely extension. By waiting, the numbers discussed during the current negotiations will become obsolete when entering a 2027 salary cap environment. That could lead to Williams becoming the NFL's first $40 million per year interior defensive lineman.
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