Shortly after Quinnen Williams expounded on his growing chemistry with fellow defensive tackle Kenny Clark, he created a long-term future for himself in Dallas. That came by way of a big new contract that will make him one of the highest-paid tackles in the game and keep him tied to the Cowboys through 2030.
Meanwhile, safety PJ Locke is back from a minor injury and thriving, while revealing how his career almost ended a year and a half ago.
Here is Dallas’ day.
Dallas Cowboys tackle Quinnen Williams gets new contract
Dallas and Williams clearly had something in the works by Saturday, Aug. 8, and that dropped Monday when Williams secured a long-term extension worth $105.9 million over three years, locking him in with Dallas through 2030. That was initially reported by Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
His agent, Nicole Lynn, was spotted at Cowboys practice on Saturday talking with Adam Prasifka, Cowboys senior director of salary cap and contracts.
The Klutch Sports Group, where she works, also represents tailback Javonte Williams, who just signed a new contract, and guard Tyler Booker, who is not eligible for his second contract for another year. That leaves Williams and yes, that was what the talk was about.
The 28-year-old Williams was a trade deadline acquisition last season after Dallas traded a 2027 first-round pick, a 2026 second-round pick and Mazi Smith to the New York Jets. In seven games for the Cowboys, Williams posted 21 tackles, three tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks plus an interception.
Cowboys co-owner Stephen Jones had indicated earlier in camp that something along these lines could happen.
“We’re very open to that,” Jones said on DallasCowboys.com, of extending Williams. “We want Quinnen here for the long haul. Obviously, we’ve got a lot of resources tied up in it. He knows what we think about it. We’ve had some discussions with [his] agent about how to go about the process. But certainly he’s one of the best in the business and we know kind of what that market is.”
Cowboys safety PJ Locke recalls surgery scare
One of Dallas’ offseason acquisitions, safety Locke, has already made himself a major part of the defense this camp despite missing a few days due to a minor injury. He’s back now and stood out with an interception during a Sunday, Aug. 9, practice.
He also revealed in a feature on DallasCowboys.com that his playing status was not assured last January when he had to undergo a potential career-ending surgery on his back to repair nerve damage, a fracture of his L5 lumbar vertebra, and a degenerative disc.
As it turns out, he got himself ready to play for the 2025 season for the Denver Broncos and was productive enough in his seventh year to earn a spot in Dallas.
“There was a part of me that didn’t think I would play, but it was also like I had a great support system,” Locke told DallasCowboys.com. “They kept me upbeat, especially my wife. She kept me upbeat and just like, ‘Man, just take it one day at a time. Stuff is going to start getting better.’ And I started gaining my faith back a little bit.
“And next thing you know, I was like, ‘Man, I’m coming back. I don’t care what nobody says. I don’t care what the probability was. I’m coming back some type of way.’ I stuck with the rehab and I just made amazing strides quickly. It was crazy.”
DallasCowboys.com also noted how effective he’s been this fall.
Patrick Walker wrote: “Early on in training camp, PJ Locke battled a minor injury that held him out of more than one practice. But if you’re wondering if that cost him time in acclimating to Christian Parker’s scheme, don’t. It’s evident the two have chemistry from their time spent together in Denver, and when Locke dropped back and intercepted Dak Prescott in the end zone during a red zone drill (Sunday), it became instantly clear that Locke will be a key piece for the defense this year.”
Dallas Cowboys practice with Rams
The Dallas Cowboys are having their first joint practice of the year on Tuesday, Aug. 11, when they line up with the Super Bowl favorites LA Rams. They also have a joint practice with the New Orleans Saints later this fall.
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer has said his starters won’t play at all during this preseason, so these practices are the best way for them to get meaningful work. Quarterback Dak Prescott pointed out that Dallas plays the LA Rams in the regular season in Week 15 (Dec. 20) and would expect to play them in the playoffs if Dallas makes it.
“It’s all you can ask for,” Prescott told ESPN. “This is a team that we’re going to play in the season, and it’s probably a team that if we want to get to where we want to get to, we’re going to have to see them again. So call this probably one of the first of three meetings, I’d assume, if everybody takes care of business.
“So it’s definitely going to be a test. It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be two great teams competing against each other. And at the end of the day, it’s practice. We’ll have a lot of time after that to clean it up and to say, ‘This is what we got to get better,’ but we can’t go out here and also have a hell of a practice and think we’ve done something.”
Dallas Cowboys preseason schedule 2026
Dallas opens the semi-competitive part of its fall schedule against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks on Aug. 15 in their preseason opener. Here is the three-game preseason slate.
Week 1 Sat, Aug 15 at Seattle Seahawks 6 p.m. MT/7 p.m. CT
Week 2 Sat, Aug 22 at Arizona Cardinals 11 a.m. MT/noon CT
Week 3 Sat, Aug 29 vs. New Orleans Saints 10 a.m. MT/11 a.m. CT
Bret Bloomquist can be reached, bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Quinnen Williams secures big extension with Dallas Cowboys
Reporting by Bret Bloomquist, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
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By Bret Bloomquist, El Paso Times | USA TODAY Network
