Cowboys acquire Jets DT Quinnen Williams

The Dallas Cowboys acquired defensive tackle Quinnen Williams in a trade with the New York Jets mere hours before Tuesday's trade deadline, the team announced Tuesday.

The Cowboys are sending a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick and defensive tackle Mazi Smith to New York, which dealt away cornerback Sauce Gardner in a separate trade with the Colts on Tuesday.

Williams, 27, has made three Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team (2022) since he was the third overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

He has 32 tackles, seven tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and one sack in eight games this season. The Jets were off last week during a bye, and Williams heads to Dallas as the Cowboys (3-5-1) begin their bye week.

Dallas is 31st in the NFL in scoring defense (30.8 points per game) and total defense (397.4 yards per game), ahead of only the Cincinnati Bengals in both categories. The Cowboys' 2027 first-round pick is conditional in that New York will receive the better of the two held by Dallas; its own and another relayed from the Green Bay Packers in the August trade for Micah Parsons.

Over his seven-year career spent entirely with the Jets, Williams has 322 tackles, 59 tackles for loss, 40 sacks, 101 quarterback hits, eight forced fumbles and 14 pass breakups.

Williams, who is signed through the 2027-28 season, has $7.8 million left on his contract this year and is set to be paid $47.3 million over the next two seasons.

The first-round pick New York acquired in the trade is the third it acquired in the next two drafts on Tuesday. The Jets traded Gardner to Indianapolis earlier in the day in exchange for a 2026 and 2027 first-round pick along with receiver Adonai Mitchell.

Smith has played in five games this season for Dallas, recording three tackles.

--Field Level Media