Quinnen Williams isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
The Dallas Cowboys reached a three-year, $105.9 million extension with their star defensive lineman on Monday, according to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
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The Cowboys landed Williams ahead of the trade deadline last season in a deal with the New York Jets. In return, Dallas sent Mazzi Smith and a pair of draft picks away. The deal came months after Dallas also sent star pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers.
The Jets first selected Williams with the No. 3 overall pick in 2019 out of Alabama, and he has earned four straight Pro-Bowl nods while dominating on the defensive line. He had 1.5 sacks and 21 total tackles in seven games with the Cowboys last season.
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By comparison, Kansas City Chiefs star Chris Jones is the highest-paid interior defensive lineman in the NFL with his deal that is worth just shy of $159 million. Only Jones and Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman Jalen Carter will be earning more than Williams, whose deal just narrowly topped the one held by Jeffery Simmons in Tennessee.
Williams wasn’t going to become an unrestricted free agent until 2028, though he held a potential out next offseason on his rookie extension that he signed back ahead of the 2023 season. That deal, worth $95 million, made him the second-highest average paid defensive tackle in NFL history at the time.
The Cowboys went 7-9-1 and missed the playoffs last season, the first under head coach Brian Schottenheimer. They’ll open the season on Sept. 13 against the New York Giants.
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The Cowboys spent a lot to land Williams last season, and clearly weren’t prepared to let him walk. Now, with the new deal in place, Williams will be able to lead the Cowboys’ defensive front for years to come.
