FRISCO, Texas — Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said the numbers at outside linebacker, not anything Sam Williams failed to do, ended his four seasons in Dallas.
The Cowboys released Williams on Sunday. He was a vested veteran and reached free agency immediately.
Williams re-signed with Dallas on March 9 on a one-year deal worth $2.5 million after declaring free agency two days earlier. The Cowboys carry $2 million in dead money on the release.
“Todd, one of the tougher decisions, man, with Sam,” Schottenheimer said. “I’ve been around Sam for a long time. When I came here, I think as a consultant was his first year, maybe my first year as a coordinator. The room got crowded. I mean, you just talked about it, trade for Rashan, draft Malachi, Von Miller, Donovan Ezeiruaku. And at the end of the day, it was the numbers.”
Dallas Cowboys Rebuilt The Outside Linebacker Room Around Him
Dallas acquired Rashan Gary from the Green Bay Packers in March for a 2027 fourth-round pick, drafted Malachi Lawrence 23rd overall out of UCF, and signed Von Miller in August. Donovan Ezeiruaku went 44th overall in 2025.
Williams moved from defensive end to outside linebacker this offseason. Dallas kept 6 at the position.
Brian Schottenheimer Says Dallas Cowboys Did Not Overvalue The Preseason Finale
Williams played well against the New Orleans Saints on Friday, and Schottenheimer had him break the team down after the game.
“So there’s nothing that Sam didn’t do. I thought Sam played,” Schottenheimer explained. “And I thought he played awesome against New Orleans. But when you make these decisions, you’ve got to be very smart and careful that you don’t overvalue the last preseason game. It’s part of the process. It’s part of all the joints and the training camp practices and then the special teams.”
Williams was the 56th overall pick in 2022 out of Ole Miss and wore No. 54. He has 85 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 4 fumble recoveries in his career. He missed the 2024 season with an injury and had 1 sack last year after recording 8.5 across 2022 and 2023.
Schottenheimer On What Comes Next For Sam Williams
“But Sam Williams’ career is long from over. He’s going to go somewhere and play at a very high level,” Schottenheimer said. “And I’m excited to see him continue to grow as a man. He’s a great father. That’s one of the things that I love about him. And that was an emotional one.”
Dallas opens the regular season Sept. 13 at MetLife Stadium against the New York Giants. Kickoff is 7:20 p.m. CT on NBC.
