The details of the three-year extension for star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams are now public. ESPN reporter Todd Archer has gathered the details of the deal recently signed by the Dallas Cowboys’ man in the middle, and it shows a rather savvy approach to keeping a key figure in town for the foreseeable future.
Williams had two years and $47.25 million remaining on the contract that was acquired in a trade with the New York Jets (Cowboys sent their 2026 second-round pick and one of their two, 2027 first-round picks). He and the team added three years, at $105.9 million, making the total deal for five years at $153.15 million.
Williams was set to cost $21,632,353 against the 2026 cap, all of it due in cash as base salary and bonus. Now he’ll make $33.15 million in cash for this season, but only cost $8.55 million against the cap. The extension gives the Cowboys over $13 million in cap space this season. But what about the remaining years of the deal?
Williams was signed through 2027 and would’ve brought in $25,400,000 in base salary and another $100,000 in bonus, with all $25.5 million sitting on the cap. The extension gives Williams a slight raise next season, too, with him collecting $29.2 million in case.
But his 2027 cap hit still goes down because of the deal structure. $6.37 million of the signing bonus hits next season (and each of the five years of the deal) as proration. However the bulk of Williams money in the remaining four seasons are paid in option bonuses, that allow the hit to be spread out instead of all at once.
$26.355 million in bonus money is spread over the 2027 through 2031 seasons (2031 is a void year, existing just to absorb allocation of the bonus money) at a rate of $5.271 million per year. Williams’ 2027 base salary will be $1.845 million, with $1 million in game-day bonuses.
Quinnen Williams 2-year Cash Flow and Cap Hits
Previous Deal: $21.75 million + $25.5 million = $47.25 million salary, $47.25 million cap hit
New Deal: $33.15 million + $29.2 million = $62.35 million salary, $23.04 million cap hit
Williams is making $15 million more, and costing the Cowboys $24 million less.
3 New Years, Cash Flow and Cap Hits
Williams will make $29.8 million, $28 million and then $32 million across the new years of the deal. Thanks to four void years (2031 through 2034), his cap hits will remain under the actual cash payouts each year. The money comes due during the 2035 season though, as there will be a whopping $54 million in dead money.
2035 will be Williams’ Age 32 season, and as defensive tackles tend to age more gracefully than other position, there’s a possibility he’ll be in consideration for an extension that can help ease across two or three more seasons.
All in all, the Cowboys worked out a deal with a defensive centerpiece, paid him his value and created some financial flexibility this year and next.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys save $24m cap space, details of Quinnen Williams new contract
Reporting by K.D. Drummond, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By K.D. Drummond, Cowboys Wire | USA TODAY Network
