It’s no secret that the Dallas Cowboys need to work on fixing their defense this offseason. The first step, however, is getting the salary cap under control. The process began with the release of linebacker Logan Wilson on Friday, but it doesn’t end there. The Cowboys are still $24.5 million over the projected salary cap and have a lot of work to do to get there, although it won’t be difficult.
Part of the formula should include locking down Quinnen Williams. Williams was acquired in a different deadline deal than Wilson, and actually got a lot of work out of him. As such, he should be widely considered the centerpiece of new defensive coordinator Christian Parker’s defense. Parker’s 3-4 defense and 4-3 spacing are a perfect fit for Williams’ skill set, as the fundamentals of playing in the open half suit the powerful and speedy seven-year veteran.
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Why the Cowboys should extend Williams’ contract
In short, Williams is the cornerstone of Parker’s game plan to turn around the Cowboys defense. Williams is 29 years old; since DTs tend to have a longer shelf life, he should have 3-4 years left in his prime. He’s under contract through 2027 with just $5 million guaranteed, but the Cowboys gave up a second-round pick this year and a first-round pick next year to acquire him.
The draft pick investment requires the Cowboys to get at least four years out of Williams.
Part of the reason any bad results related to the acquisition seemed short-sighted was when they traded Williams in the middle of the season because of how important seven games of information was. He quickly answered any questions about whether his decline in performance in New York was due to him or the Jets environment, and laid out a plan to specifically build around him.
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Pro Bowl-level play returned to Williams upon his arrival in Dallas, the fourth consecutive season he has earned the honor.
Quinnen Williams’ proposed contract extension
If we were in charge of the Cowboys’ front office, here’s the deal we’d offer Williams and his representatives.
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Total 4 years, $110 million (AAV $27.5 million) KD Drummond|denim line 2 blank years (2030, 2031) Signing bonus: $25 million Fully Guaranteed: $36.75M | 2027 Additional Damage Guaranteed: $21.5M | Total Guaranteed: $58.25M 2027 Option Bonus 1: $5 million 2027 base salary ($26.5 million will convert to $25 million restructuring bonus, $1.5 million base salary) 2028 Option Bonus 2: $16 million |
||||||||
|
Year |
basic salary |
signing bonus |
Option Bonus 1 |
restructuring bonus |
Option Bonus 2 |
run cash |
cap hit |
dead money |
|
2026 |
$1.75 million |
$5 million |
– |
– |
$26.75 million |
$6.75 million |
$- |
|
|
2027 |
$11.5 million |
$5 million |
1 million US dollars |
US$3 million |
+ $31.5 million = $58.25 million |
$20.5 million |
$- |
|
|
2028 |
$10 million |
$5 million |
1 million US dollars |
US$3 million |
$4 million |
+ $26 million = $84.25 million |
$23 million |
$31 million |
|
KFC |
D |
right |
U |
medium size |
medium size |
oxygen |
nitrogen |
D |
|
2029 |
$25.75 million |
$5 million |
1 million US dollars |
US$3 million |
$4 million |
+ $25.75 million = $110 million |
$38.75 million |
$32 million |
|
2030 |
blank |
$5 million |
1 million US dollars |
US$3 million |
$4 million |
– |
$21 million |
– |
|
2031 |
blank |
1 million US dollars |
US$3 million |
$4 million |
– |
– |
– |
|
|
all |
$49 million |
$25 million |
$5 million |
$15 million |
$16 million |
$110 million |
$110 million |
– |
Suggested extensions: Add two additional years until 2029: 4 years, total value $110 million. Williams’ average annual salary will increase from the current $24 million to $27.5 million, second only to Kansas City’s Chris Jones.
His contract will include a 2026 signing bonus, a 2027 option bonus (which expires on the fifth day of the league year) and a 2027 restructure that will keep him under the cap hit over the next two seasons.
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His signing bonus, 2026 salary and $10 million of his 2027 salary are fully guaranteed at signing. His remaining 2027 salary ($16.5 million) and 2027 option bonus ($5 million) are both guaranteed due to injury, bringing the total to $58.25 million.
When the option bonus is paid on League Five Day in 2027, his full 2027 salary guarantee and restructuring will be triggered, converting $15 million in base salary into bonuses. That brings the cap hit from 2027 to 2031 to an average of $3 million.
If disaster strikes and Williams needs to be dumped before 2028, the Cowboys would have five days to release him early in the league before activating the $16 million option bonus.
After three full seasons plus 2025, Dallas can get out of the contract with a clean slate entering the 2029 season, saving a projected $6.75 million because the $32 million in dead money will be below the projected cap hit of $38.75 million.
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2026 salary cap savings from Williams’ extension: $14.85 million
The Cowboys currently plan to spend $21,632,000 of their 2026 cap space on Williams. The proposed extension adds a total of $5 million, cutting it to just $6.75 million due to a new lower base salary and $25 million in advances spread evenly over the 2026-2030 salary cap.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys’ contract extension proposal for Quinnen Williams hits $110M
