It’s no secret that the Dallas Cowboys have work to do this offseason to fix their defense. The first step, however, is getting their salary cap under control. That process has started with the release of linebacker Logan Wilson on Friday, but it hardly ends there. The Cowboys are still $24.5 million over the expected salary cap and have much work to do to get there, though it won’t be hard.

Part of the formula should include locking in to Quinnen Williams. Acquired in a separate deadline-day trade than Wilson, Williams actually worked out to great extent. So much so, he should widely be considered the defensive centerpiece for new defensive coordinator Christian Parker to build around. Parker’s 3-4 defense with 4-3 spacing is perfectly suited for Williams’ skill set, as playing gap-and-a-half fundamentals suits the powerful and quick seven-year veteran.

Why the Cowboys should offer Williams an extension

Simply put, Williams is the building block in the middle of Parker’s game plan to turn the Cowboys defense around. Williams is 29; and as DTs tend to have a longer shelf life, he should have another 3-4 years in his prime. He’s signed through 2027 with only $5 million in guaranteed money remaining, but the Cowboys gave up a second-round pick this year and a first-round pick next year to acquire him.

The pick investment demands that the Cowboys get at least four years out of Williams.

Part of the reason any bad grades attached to the acquisition seemed shortsighted was that when they traded for Williams midseason was because how important seven games worth of info was. He quickly answered all questions about whether his declining performance in New York was him or the Jets environment and made plans to build around him concrete.

As soon as Williams landed in Dallas, the Pro Bowl caliber play returned, marking his fourth-straight season with the honor.

Can’t wait for full season with. Cowboys Nation 🤠 https://t.co/Ybb4C32z3M

— Quinnen Williams (@QuinnenWilliams) February 19, 2026

Proposed Contract Extension for Quinnen Williams

If we were in charge of the Cowboys’ front office, here’s the deal we’d offer to Williams and his representatives.

Proposed Extension: Add two new years to run through 2029: 4 years, $110 million total value. Williams will increase his average annual value from $24 million of his current deal to $27.5 million, second only behind Kansas City’s Chris Jones.

His deal would include a 2026 signing bonus, a 2027 option bonus (due on the fifth day of the league year) and a 2027 restructure which will keep his cap hits low for the next two seasons.

His signing bonus, 2026 salary, and $10M of his 2027 salary, is fully guaranteed at the time of signing. His remaining 2027 salary ($16.5 million) and his 2027 option bonus ($5 million) are guaranteed for injury, bringing that total up to $58.25 million.

When the Option bonus is paid on the fifth-league day of 2027, his full 2027 salary guarantees and the restructure is triggered, converting $15 million of base salary to bonus. This spreads the cap hit evenly across the 2027 through 2031 caps at $3 million each.

If a catastrophe happens and Williams needs to be dumped before 2028, the Cowboys will have five days to release him at the beginning of that league year before a $16 million option bonus is activated.

Dallas could escape the contract cleanly going into the 2029 season, after three full seasons plus 2025, for $6.75 million in projected savings, as $32 million of dead money would be lower than the $38.75 million projected cap hit.

2026 Salary Cap Savings from Williams’ Extension: $14.85 Million

The Cowboys are currently set to use $21,632,000 of their 2026 cap space on Williams. This proposed extension, a $5 million raise in total, cuts that down to just $6.75 million thanks to a new low base salary and an up-front $25 million payment that is spread out evenly across the 2026 through 2030 salary caps.

This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Contract extension proposal for Cowboys Quinnen Williams reaches $110M