Cowboys Could Lock Up Defensive Cornerstone With $110 Million Extension

The Dallas Cowboys need to ensure they keep Quinnen Williams throughout his prime, and can open up cap space by extending him.

Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Quinnen Williams warms up prior to the game against the Kansas City Chiefs. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

With free agency set to begin in a couple of weeks, the Dallas Cowboys have plenty of work to do to get under the salary cap.

Dallas not only has to make up for an estimated $30 million overage, but they also need to free up enough space to re-sign some of their key free agents and fill holes in free agency as well. There are several options available to them, with restructures for players such as Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb offering the most relief.

That said, there are other ways the front office can move money around. One of those is to offer an extension to defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. Cowboys Wire's K.D. Drummond recommends taking this route, saying that Dallas should lock up Williams on a two-year extension.

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Williams is currently under contract through the 2027 season and is set to count $21.6 million against the cap. Drummond suggests a new deal that would result in a four-year deal with a total of $110 million.

"Add two new years to run through 2029: 4 years, $110 million total value. Williams will increase his average annual value from $24 million of his current deal to $27.5 million, second only behind Kansas City's Chris Jones," Drummond wrote.

"His deal would include a 2026 signing bonus, a 2027 option bonus (due on the fifth day of the league year) and a 2027 restructure which will keep his cap hits low for the next two seasons."

How much cap relief would the Cowboys get from this extension?

Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs is tackled by Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

As for the cap savings, Drummond says the Cowboys could add two void years to the deal, which would allow them to spread a $25 million bonus out through 2030. It would also drastically drop his cap number this year, lowering it by nearly $15 million.

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"The Cowboys are currently set to use $21,632,000 of their 2026 cap space on Williams. This proposed extension, a $5 million raise in total, cuts that down to just $6.75 million thanks to a new low base salary and an up-front $25 million payment that is spread out evenly across the 2026 through 2030 salary caps," Drummond wrote.

This would be a win for all parties, as the Cowboys would free up space while ensuring they get maximum value out of their trade for Williams. For Williams, it would give him the raise he deserves and make him one of the highest-paid at his position.

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