OXNARD, Calif. — Quinnen Williams came over to find Brian Schottenheimer when Tuesday’s joint practice against the New Orleans Saints ended. The two of them talked for a few minutes. The Dallas Cowboys coach kept a hand over his mouth the whole time.
Schottenheimer spent the afternoon pulling players apart. He said later that Dallas got nothing close to the work it wanted.
“He’s incredible,” Schottenheimer said. “Just the conversation we had right there was really very heartfelt, very thorough. We talked about a lot of things. That’s why I was covering my mouth, so you guys couldn’t read lips. But he’s a stud, man. He’s an absolute stud, and I’m thrilled he’s a Cowboy for a long, long, long time.”
The Extension And The Micah Parsons Chain
Williams agreed to terms on a three-year, $105.9 million extension Aug. 10 and signed it the next day. The deal runs through 2030. Its $35.3 million average ranks third among defensive tackles.
A week before last season, Dallas traded Micah Parsons to Green Bay for two first-round picks and Kenny Clark. One of those firsts went to the New York Jets in November, along with a 2026 second-rounder and Mazi Smith, for Williams. Dallas used the other one on rookie edge rusher Malachi Lawrence.
“Everybody sees the play and how dominant he is, but you gotta understand the kind of teammate is, his process, how he works,” Cowboys defensive line coach Marcus Dixon said after the deal. “[It’s] well-deserved, and I’m so happy for him and his family, but that man wants to win. He’ll tell you himself.”
Quinnen Williams In His First Full Season In Dallas
Dallas never treated the November trade as a two-year rental, Stephen Jones said last week. Williams was on the Cowboys’ 11-man leadership council from the first day of camp.
“Just enjoying this weather, enjoying going against Tyler Smith every day,” Williams said in Oxnard last month. “Tyler Booker every day. Just enjoying the hard work and the camaraderie that all come with being a Dallas Cowboy and being here in Oxnard.”
Williams went third overall in 2019 out of Alabama. He never reached the playoffs in New York. He has 41.5 sacks across 105 career games and four straight Pro Bowls, and in seven games with Dallas he put up 21 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and an interception. Schottenheimer named him this week as one of the leaders who will work with Donovan Ezeiruaku after his second ejection of camp.
Dallas plays at the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday at 9 p.m. CT. The preseason finale against the Saints is Aug. 28 at AT&T Stadium.
