The New York Jets are working on their 15th consecutive season without a playoff berth. Quinnen Williams joined New York’s treadmill of futility in 2019, when the Jets selected the defensive tackle from Alabama with the third pick in that year’s NFL Draft.
Williams escaped from New York on Tuesday, when the Jets dealt the former Wenonah High School standout to the Dallas Cowboys at the NFL trade deadline. New York shipped Williams south in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, a first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft and defensive tackle Mazi Smith.
“As an ultra-competitor, I think anybody who’s going through many, many losses like I was going through, there’s going to be frustration,” Williams said. “I know guys who won their whole life and they lose one game, they be frustrated. So, of course, I was frustrated. But the relationship that I have with (coach Aaron Glenn), the relationship I have with GM Darren (Mougey) there, man, is still great relationships. And they knew I was frustrated. I think the world knew I was frustrated being there so long and still losing.
“But like I said, any ultra-competitor, man, any guy who play this game to win is going to be frustrated no matter if you win a hundred of games and you lose that one. When I was at Bama, I went 16 and one and lost the national championship. I was frustrated. But the relationship itself has never bent, has never broken. I still believe in what AG is doing there is going to be great for those guys and the leadership that he has and the things that he’s doing there is going to be great for those guys and the way that Darren has handled everything there is going to be great.”
Mougey was asked on Tuesday if Williams asked to be traded but did not directly answer.
“I’m not here to talk about rumors and different things,” Mougey said. “Look, like I said earlier, I have a lot of discussions with GM’s and players throughout the course of the year, and I’ll keep all those discussions private between myself and GM’s and players.”
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Williams said he “definitely was surprised” to be traded, but he wasn’t unhappy about it.
“It’s unbelievable, though, man, to be able to come to an organization with so much history, so much talent on the team, great ownership and great group of guys in the locker room and a great head coach,” Williams said. “And the things that the guys are doing here, so I’m super happy to be a part of this. I’m super happy to be a part of this defensive-line group that’s super loaded and super talented with Kenneth Clark and (Osa Odighizuwa) and Dante Fowler and Coach Aaron (Whitecotton). Man, it’s unbelievable to go to go to work with those guys, and I’m looking forward to it.”
The trade reunites Williams and Whitecotton. Now the Cowboys’ defensive-line coach, Whitecotton served in that capacity for the previous four years with the Jets.
Whitecotton joined the New York coaching staff in 2021, which was Williams’ third NFL season. In 2022, Williams received first-team All-Pro recognition for the first time in his career. Williams’ three Pro Bowl selections came in 2022 through 2024.
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“I think anybody can look at the resume,” Williams said. “Like, before I had Whitecotton, I kind of was ascending to be a good defensive tackle. But once Whitecotton kind of came in my life as a coach, man, I became an All-Pro and a Pro Bowler. So the techniques that he has taught me, the things that he has done for me in my career when it come down to coaching and stuff like that has been unbelievable and kind of transcended my career to this day. So being paired back with him, I know the sky’s the limit.
“So not for only me, but for this group also because a lot of these guys in this defensive-line room, first year with Whitecotton also. So I know the things he done for me and the things he helped me out with to be the player that I am to this day, he can help that whole group out.”
During Williams’ time with the Jets, New York posted a 33-75 record. Dallas had a 60-48 regular-season record during that time, with one victory in four playoff games.
Halfway through the 2025 season, the Cowboys have a 3-5-1 record.
“I’m hungry to win,” Williams said. “Like that’s the main thing. Like I said in the beginning, I’m an ultimate competitor, man, and everything I do is about winning, everything I do, everything I work. When I wake up, man, I just want to win. So that kind of forms my ego of I can do anything the coaches ask me to do if it’s going to get us a win.”
Williams will have to wait for his opportunity to get his first win with the Cowboys. Dallas is in its bye week. The Cowboys’ next game is on Nov. 17, when they play the Las Vegas Raiders in the Week 11 Monday night game.
Williams is coming out of the Jets’ bye week. He most recently played on Oct. 26, when New York defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 39-38 for its first victory of the season.
“It’s definitely weird,” Williams said of his double bye. “It’s my first time getting traded, do it’s definitely weird. But, man, I’m kind of attacking it as like it was going to be a game week for me, just not playing on Sunday. So just prepping, working out, training, conditioning hard like I’m preparing for a game because I did have a bye last week and trying to stay in game shape and doing the things I can do, so when it’s time for me to suit up and play for the Cowboys, I could be ready.”
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