Cowboys Acquire Jets Star DL Quinnen Williams in Blockbuster Move

This news came shortly after the Jets traded away Sauce Gardner.

Jets defensive lineman Quinnen Williams was traded to the Cowboys. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Cowboys officially made their big defensive trade ahead of the deadline on Tuesday by acquiring Jets defensive lineman Quinnen Williams, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported. In return, New York receives a 2027 first-round pick, a 2026 second-round pick and they are acquiring defensive tackle Mazi Smith, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. The first-round pick will be the higher of the two Dallas owns, one of their own and one from the Packers.

MORE: NFL Trade Deadline Tracker

This move comes shortly after the Jets traded away star cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Colts. In a matter of a couple hours, New York lost two of its star defensive players.

The Cowboys have been looking to add more defensive stars ever since they traded Micah Parsons to the Packers ahead of the 2025 season. While Williams doesn’t necessarily fill the gap Parsons left, he is still a very strong defensive addition. Dallas owner Jerry Jones teased a big trade when speaking to the media ahead of the Cowboys’ Monday night game, and the team definitely delivered on that.

Williams has spent the entirety of his career with the Jets since he was drafted No. 3 overall in 2019. Through 99 games in New York, Williams notched 322 tackles, 40 sacks, eight forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and one interception. He has a career-high three forced fumbles so far this season.

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