Cowboys land star DT Quinnen Williams in blockbuster trade with 1–7 Jets, aiming to fix struggling defense after a rocky 3–5–1 start to the 2025 season
15:27 ET, 04 Nov 2025Updated 15:27 ET, 04 Nov 2025
Williams was selected by the New York Jets with the third overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft
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Williams was selected by the New York Jets with the third overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft(Image: Getty)
The Dallas Cowboys made a bold move at the NFL trade deadline, acquiring Pro Bowl defensive tackle Quinnen Williams from the New York Jets in a high-stakes deal that signals a desire to compete for the remainder of the season.
Williams, once a cornerstone of the Jets’ defense, will now join a Cowboys squad desperate to fix its interior run defense after trading Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. The deal was the Cowboys' second of the day after Dak Prescott sent an urgent warning.
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Dallas sent a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick (conditional) and defensive tackle Mazi Smith to New York in exchange for Williams, after the Jets learned they will lose a $10 million signing for the rest of the season to injury.
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The Jets will receive the higher of Dallas’ two 2027 first-round selections.
Williams, originally the third overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, has been a standout in New York, earning three Pro Bowl selections and a first-team All-Pro nod in 2022. He compiled 322 tackles, 40 sacks and eight forced fumbles during his tenure with the Jets.
With the Cowboys ranked 31st in scoring defense and total defense, the move addresses a glaring need, giving them one of the league’s best run-stopping interior linemen.
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The Cowboys entered 2025 hopeful of rebound after a 7–10 finish in 2024, but through nine games they sit at just 3–5–1, including three losses in their last four.
For the Jets, the photo is worse: they are 1–7 so far, own the second-worst record in the NFL, and are staring down a full rebuild under head coach Aaron Glenn and GM Darren Mougey.
The move follows Tuesday’s trade of cornerback Sauce Gardner and shows New York is willing to move proven stars for draft capital.
New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner before a snap
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Sauce Gardner was drafted fourth overall by the Jets in 2022(Image: (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images))
The Jets were reluctant to trade Williams in the weeks prior — they insisted publicly he wasn’t available — yet intense trade-deadline chatter and lowered asking price suggested otherwise.
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From Dallas’ perspective, landing Williams without sacrificing a 2026 first-round pick, only a 2027 first-rounder and a 2026 second-rounder, is significant. In effect, the Cowboys are betting their present and future, leveraging picks they hope will fall lower in 2026 while adding a player who can help now.
On the flip side, the Jets’ haul instantly improves their war chest for the upcoming drafts. With five first-rounders in play across 2026-27 and casting the mold for a new era, New York is effectively flipping a rebuild into high gear.
Defensive tackle Mazi Smith, sent to the Jets in the deal, is younger and unproven compared to Williams, but he offers potential and cost-control. New York will hope to develop him into a building block. Dallas, in return, gains Williams’ veteran presence and immediate impact.