‘Keep That To Myself’: Quinnen Williams Stays Quiet On Pregame Message As Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb Praise His Voice
FRISCO, Texas — Quinnen Williams would not say Thursday what he told the Dallas Cowboys before Monday’s 38-21 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, and he would not say why he felt the need to speak up. Both times, his answer was that he was going to keep that to himself.
His teammates were more forthcoming. CeeDee Lamb described Williams as soft-spoken and said the message still came through clearly.
“I mean, everybody knows Q. He’s a hell of a player, very dominant just in his way of, excuse me, in the way that he honestly just approached the game week in and week out,” Lamb said. “He kind of came out of the shell last week talking to the team, got us excited. And, I mean, he real soft-spoken, but the message was very clear.”
Dallas acquired Williams from the New York Jets on Nov. 4, 2025, in the middle of last season. The win in Philadelphia ended a two-game losing streak and moved the Cowboys to 3-4.
Quinnen Williams On Leading In Dallas
Williams never needed time to find his voice after the trade, he said. He described himself as a leader by example first.
“Not at all, man. Like, it’s super easy to lead when you’ve got a group of guys who are natural born leaders in themselves and the group of guys that we have,” Williams said. “So, I’m really just trying to be the best leader by example, first and foremost. Take accountability in my own play, in my own self, and just critique when critique is needed.”
Whether a message lands is not something he can read in the moment.
“I don’t know about that. I don’t know if you can. No, I can’t tell. I can’t tell. I just kind of say how I feel and just hope that it get through,” Williams explained.
Part of that role is working with the Cowboys’ young pass rushers. Donovan Ezeiruaku, a 2025 second-round pick, had a sack and 2 quarterback hits Monday. Malachi Lawrence, the No. 23 overall pick out of UCF in April, recorded his first NFL sack against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 8.
“They’re doing phenomenal, man. The things that they can do, especially when it comes down to being explosive off the line of scrimmage, pass rushing, and doing a better job of setting the edge and stopping the run also,” Williams said. “So to see the development from … when I first got here last year, especially with [Ezeiruaku], and when [Lawrence] got in this year, and to where they are now, definitely going in the right direction.”
“Just any advice they ask me, any question they ask me, what I see when we break down pass rush film, when we break down film on his own, because a lot of those guys, especially those two, rush next to me, so they kind of want to know how I feel, what I see, what I think. And I kind of want to do the same so we both can be on the same page, especially when we run different types of pass rush games,” Williams added.
Dak Prescott On Williams’ Voice
Dak Prescott’s locker sits next to Williams’, and the two talk candidly. Williams does not shy away from saying anything, according to Prescott, but he also does not talk just to talk.
“Yeah, he’s very comfortable with his voice. He’s not a guy that’s going to shy away from saying anything, but he’s also not just talking the talk,” Prescott said. “So when he does speak, you know it’s intelligent, he’s got a plan for it. It’s very intentional and it’s heard and understood.”
“And so I think that’s what’s great about having a guy like that and a leader like that is he’s not just talking, but when he does, it’s powerful and it reaches everybody on the team, coaches as well. He’s a guy that has a great grasp of this team, what we need to do and where we’re going. And it’s great to have a locker next to him and be able to have those talks just candidly,” Prescott continued.
Williams is days from one year in Dallas. He said Thursday he is focused only on winning this week against the Arizona Cardinals, who visit AT&T Stadium on Sunday. Kickoff is set for noon CT on FOX.
