Jalen Carter Extension Pushes Cowboys To Make Quinnen Williams Deal A Priority

The Dallas Cowboys have a history of letting the market dictate how much the team will pay its star players, rather than getting ahead of things and proactively extending the franchise's biggest names.

We have seen it in the past with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Micah Parsons, and saw it again this offseason when the team used the franchise tag on George Pickens.

Because the Cowboys have dragged their feet in negotiations and shown little urgency, they end up paying the top price for players when they could have shaved off some of the salary by acting swiftly. One of the next players who could put the Cowboys in a similar situation is All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.

Williams is signed through 2027, but a recent move by the division rival Philadelphia Eagles should put some pressure on the Cowboys to get an extension done sooner rather than later.

Luckily, the Cowboys showed during Tuesday's training camp opening press conference that the deal did spark some urgency on the Williams front, and Stephen Jones acknowledged that there have already been talks with his agent.

Jalen Carter-Eagles Deal Puts Pressure On Dallas Cowboys

Asked Cowboys co-owner Stephen Jones if he expects a negotiation with DT Quinnen Williams this training camp. He said yes.

He added that they’ve talked to his agent about the process for negotiation. They want him here long term.

“He’s at the top of our list.” pic.twitter.com/ujufqOXKT1
— Joseph Hoyt (@JoeJHoyt) July 28, 2026

On Tuesday afternoon, the Eagles and two-time Pro Bowler Jalen Carter agreed to a four-year, $152 million extension worth up to $160 million, which includes $106 million guaranteed. The deal, which was worked on by Drew and Jason Rosenhaus, makes Carter the highest-paid defensive tackle in the league.

The signing of Carter raised the market for defensive tackles, and with Quinnen Williams entering the season at 28 years old, the Cowboys need to act now. Williams is set to count for more than $21 million in 2026 and over $25 million in 2027, so the team should be showing urgency to reach a deal that could push his future cap hits down in the form of a signing bonus.

It also allows the team to lock Williams in at an affordable price before he is over 30 years old. Williams has shown that he is still capable of playing at an All-Pro level, and now that he is entering his first full season in Dallas, the team should reward him and get ahead of the market before they are forced to sign him to a deal they will regret down the line or watch him walk.

Let's just hope that the way the Cowboys have been moving this offseason signals a change for the future, and that they take the Carter extension as a sign that it is time to act now with the new anchor of Christian Parker's defense.

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