Shortly before the 27-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones hinted at a big trade for his team, but he didn’t offer too many clues.
He made the most of the New York Jets’ fire sale, making a bold move to add a superstar defensive tackle like Quinnen Williams.
Cowboys Give Up On Mazi Smith, Add Quinnen Williams
According to NFL insider Tom Pelissero, the move also paved the way for them to finally move on from former first-round pick Mazi Smith:
“Blockbuster: The Jets are trading three-time Pro Bowl DL Quinnen Williams to the Cowboys, sources tell The Insiders,” Pelissero tweeted. The final deal: Jets get: 2026 2nd-round pick, 2027 1st-round pick, and DT Mazi Smith. Cowboys get: DT Quinnen Williams,” he added in a follow-up tweet.
The final deal:
Jets get: 2026 2nd-round pick, 2027 1st-round pick and DT Mazi Smith
Cowboys get: DT Quinnen Williams https://t.co/DiTeZExUr4
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 4, 2025
The Cowboys’ run defense had been an issue all year long, and not even adding a veteran star like Kenny Smith in the Micah Parsons trade did much to help their case.
Now, they hope that Williams, who has an 82.7 PFSN impact score, the 10th-highest in the league, will finally help straighten the course of the ship.
After nine games, Matt Eberflus’ defense is giving up the third-most rushing yards per game (143.0) and the second-most total yards (414.8) and points per game (30.8). They also rank dead last in successful third-down conversion percentage allowed (52.6).
Williams is signed through the 2027 season, and he could be one of the team’s defensive building blocks for years to come alongside promising young players like Shavon Revel Jr. or DeMarvion Overshown.
The Cowboys may not be in a position to compete right now, but this move gets them a step closer. The Jets also moved on from CB Sauce Gardner, kicking off a new rebuild after falling to 1-7 for the season. They added three first-round picks in the process.
MORE: 2025 NFL Trade Deadline Tracker: Live Updates, Latest Rumors, and a Complete List of Deals
On top of the draft capital, Aaron Glenn’s team will also take a reclamation project in Mazi Smith, a former first-round pick who never found his footing in Dallas. He was a healthy scratch in four games and only totalled 89 snaps this season, never playing more than 31 percent of the team’s defensive snaps.
Still, he’s just 24 years old and two years removed from being a first-round selection, so he’s certainly worth the gamble.