The Dallas Cowboys are underway with their 2026 training camp in Oxnard, and much of the conversation thus far has been about the lack of conversation so far. yes, the Cowboys have had a relatively peaceful offseason to this point, having conducted themselves like a normal football team, for the most part. The George Pickens situation was emphatically settled, and there is no sort of outstanding contract mess (Micah Parsons, CeeDee Lamb, Dak Prescott) like what we saw in the last two summers. There is, though, one potentially worrisome situation brewing: a contract for Quinnen Williams.
Though Williams is an obviously huge part of where this team wants to head–it could be argued that the defensive overhaul began with acquiring him in a blockbuster from the Jets at the deadline last fall–his current contract still has two years left, and he does not qualify as a Cowboys emergency. He has cap hits of about $47 million combined in the next two seasons.
But given the skyrocketing defensive line market, the Cowboys should make a move on him sooner rather than later.
Cowboys ‘Want Quinnen Williams Here for the Long Haul’
Cowboys VP Stephen Jones was asked about the potential for a Williams extension during the team’s camp-opening press conference on Tuesday. He’s more than aware of the need to lock something up with Williams sooner rather than later, saying there has been some groundwork laid already with Williams’ camp.
“Absolutely, I mean, we’re very open to that,” Jones said. “We want Quinnen Williams here for the long haul. Obviously, we’ve got a lot of resources tied up in him. And he knows what we think about him. We’ve had some discussion with the agent about how to go about the process. But certainly, he is one of the best in the business and we know kind of what that market is. Obviously, it evolves and changes with each new deal, which is the case at any position.
“Certainly, he is at the top of the list in terms of people that we want to keep around here, long-term.”
Cowboys History on Extensions Has Been Costly
One persistent criticism of the Cowboys in recent years has been how late they react to the way the market moves forward, especially at premium positions. By supposedly playing hardball with players and agents, the Cowboys tend to sit on their hands until late in the process-after which the market has only moved up, forcing the Cowboys to pay more than they would if they’d been proactive.
On Tuesday, a post from ESPN’s Adam Schefter announced that the market for top defensive linemen had moved to the neighborhood of an incredible $40 million per year.
From Schefter: “Breaking: Eagles are signing two-time Pro-Bowl selection Jalen Carter to a four-year, $152 million extension worth up to $160 million, including $106 million guaranteed that now makes him the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history, per his agents Drew and Jason Rosenhaus.”
Quinnen Williams No. 2 Defensive Lineman in 2025
Again, that just reveals that timing is everything. The Cowboys will have to pay Williams something in the neighborhood of what Carter got–he is a four-time Pro Bowler and a former first-team All-Pro, and was the No. 2 rated defensive lineman in the NFL in 2025 according to Pro Football Focus. By the end of the summer, Williams could have himself a record-breaking contract.
The Cowboys probably should have gotten ahead of the Carter contract. But it’s a positive that they’re looking to act soon, and may do the same with more extension candidates.
Said Jones: “There’s other players on the roster we may take a look at was well, camp always seems to be a nice time to look at something like that.”
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Cowboys ‘Very Open’ to Record-Breaking Contract for Star DL appeared first on HEAVY.