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Quinnen Williams #92 of the Dallas Cowboys

Surely, the Dallas Cowboys have known that, ever since they acquired Quinnen Williams from the Jets in a deadline deal eight months ago, there was going to be a price that went beyond the 2027 first-round pick coughed up to get him. The Cowboys got Williams on the  four-year, $96 million contract he had signed in 2023 with New York, a deal that runs through 2027 and has a cap it of $21.6 million this year and $25.5 million after that, per Spotrac.

Also in 2023, Titans star defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons signed a similar deal, but Simmons’ contract was a step behind where Williams was, at $94 million over four years. In fact, Williams’ contract ranked second only behind Aaron Donald as the biggest AAV payout to a defensive lineman.

Now, Simmons, still with the Titans, has signed a new deal, slated to make $105 million over three years–a record for defensive linemen, whose market has been accelerated lately. And as he did in 2023, Williams could again best Simmons’ paycheck … if the Cowboys are amenable.

Quinnen Williams Could Top Simmons Contract

Simmons still has the two years on his deal remaining, but the Cowboys do have incentive to get in front of the issue now and lock him up to a new contract. The team has been loathe to do so in the past, and it has cost them–the longer you wait to sign a star to an extension, the more that extension will be.

Even the Cowboys’ in-house website suggests the parent company might need to shell out for Williams soon.

Tommy Yarrish of DallasCowboys.com writes this week : “Who could be next among star defensive tackles to earn a big pay day? Cowboys DT Quinnen Williams’ name certainly comes to mind. He and Simmons are both 29. … The Cowboys being willing to trade a first-round pick for him in next year’s draft shows how important they feel he is to the defense, which means a contract extension to back that up could be in the future to make Williams either the highest paid, or close to the highest paid, player at his position.”

Cowboys New Defense Should Help Production

No doubt, the Cowboys would be wise to give Williams a new extension, even if it means setting a record payout. New defensive coordinator Christian Parker has given the team hope that it can get the unit sorted out after a miserable 2025, but to make that happen, Williams might be the most important player. The Cowboys have question marks and hopes across the defense, but Williams and the team’s front are the biggest source of stability and optimism in this group.

And Williams is excited to suit up for Parker, who cited Williams as a player who will thrive in the team’s new system.

Said Williams: “From the defensive scheme, and the defensive mindset, he’s extremely smart when it comes down to the defense of how he sees the game.

“It opened my eyes on when I could take my shots, when I can do certain things and constructive criticism from what he sees, and what I need to work on from his point of view. And [also] what he feels like I can do better from his point of view — the respect that he has for me to respect I have for him.”