Instant Impact Of Jets-Cowboys Quinnen Williams Stunner

The New York Jets aren't messing around ahead of the 2025 National Football League trade deadline.

First, the Jets cut ties with All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner by sending him to the Indianapolis Colts for a package headlined by two first-round picks. Now, the Jets reportedly are continuing their star-studded exodus by sending fellow All-Pro Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

"Blockbuster: The Cowboys are trading for Jets Pro Bowl DT Quinnen Williams, sending a first-round pick and more to NYJ, per The Insiders," Rapoport said. "A new home for one of the NFL’s best to team that values interior DLs, as NYJ builds for the future."

If you're a Jets fan, it has been a brutal day from a short-term perspective. Theoretically, it has been a good day with a long-term lens in mind. But, that all depends on whether the Jets can hit on draft picks.

With that being said, let's take a look at the instant impact of the reported Jets-Cowboys blockbuster swap:

The Jets traded another star

Sep 14, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (95) before the game against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Jets' defensive tackle position
The defensive tackle position was considered a weakness for the Jets before the 2025 season, which is why New York went out and acquired Harrison Phillips and Jowon Briggs before the season. Now, they are your main guys along with Jay Tufele. But, Williams is hard to replace and won't be in the short term. He has one sack and 32 tackles through eight games played. On top of that, teams have to plan differently for him. He has that much of a game-breaking talent. This is a deal that immediately weakens the defense, which is an understatement.

The return
It has been reported over and over that the Jets wouldn't move Williams unless there was a massive offer for him. Well, the Cowboys provided that. NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that the Jets are getting a 2026 second-round pick and a future first-round pick for Williams. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport shared that Mazi Smith is also coming to New York. That qualifies as a massive return. SNY's Connor Hughes shared Oct. 21st on "Jets Final Drive" that he heard the Jets were looking for at least a second-round return and noted that would be too low. Getting a two high picks and a player is huge.

Intrigue of the deal getting done with the Cowboys
Jerry Jones of the Cowboys shared back in September that he approached the Jets about a deal for Micah Parsons and at the time and insinuated that he wanted Williams. The Jets didn't make a trade for Parsons, but now Williams goes to Dallas.

The rebuild is here
The Jets have now traded two cornerstone-level players in Gardner and Williams with a few hours to go until the trade deadline. In return, the Jets have gotten three first-round picks, a second-round pick, and two players in return. Clearly, the front office is banking on upcoming drafts to fix this team.

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