The New York Jets made another stunning move this week, sending star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a first-round pick, a second-round pick, and DL Mazi Smith.
Coming hours after trading All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts for two first-round selections, the message from the Jets’ front office is crystal clear: the rebuild is here.
Stockpiling Picks and Preparing for the Future
With both Gardner and Williams now gone, the Jets are loading up on draft capital and flexibility. The team now holds multiple first-round picks over the next two drafts, giving them the freedom to trade up in the draft, acquire young talent, or develop star collegiate prospects from within.
It’s a bold, forward-thinking approach for a franchise that’s been mired in mediocrity. After years of trying to build around established names, general manager Darren Mougey appears to be tearing it down to the studs and reimagining the roster for the long haul.
Dallas Goes All In
The Cowboys, meanwhile, continue to push their chips toward a Super Bowl run. After trading away Micah Parsons earlier this summer in a shocking blockbuster that netted them two first-round picks, Dallas had some ammunition to spend, and they just used it to land one of the league’s premier interior defenders.
Dallas is now loaded at defensive tackle, having also acquired Kenny Clark in that same offseason deal. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the pick going to New York is the Cowboys’ own first-rounder, not the Packers’ selection from the Parsons trade. That distinction matters because Green Bay currently boasts one of the league’s best records, while the Cowboys’ pick carries more value due to their midseason standing.
The move signals that Dallas believes it’s in “win-now” mode, fortifying its front seven with a proven, disruptive force in Williams.
Contract Extensions Pay Off for the Jets
An underrated aspect of this trade, as well as the earlier Gardner deal, is that both players were under long-term contracts. Williams, who received his extension before the end of his rookie deal, helped set the trend that continued with Gardner and wideout Garrett Wilson this past offseason.
Having those players locked up added significant value for the Jets in trade talks. Teams trading for stars under contract don’t view them as one-year rentals, and they’re acquiring core pieces for the future. It’s a smart strategic move by the Jets, who likely didn’t plan these deals when they signed those extensions, but ultimately maximized value when the time came.
Williams’ Frustrations Boil Over
While the trade caught many off guard, those close to the organization saw the writing on the wall. Williams, a former first-round pick out of Alabama in 2019, had never been part of a winning team in New York.
The constant losing and internal dysfunction took its toll. After the Jets released Aaron Rodgers this past offseason, Williams tweeted:
“another rebuild year for me I guess.”
Though he later apologized publicly and privately to head coach Aaron Glenn, sources say the frustration lingered.
In recent weeks, multiple league and team sources described Williams as “miserable” and ready for a change. Despite playing through constant double- and triple-teams on a depleted defensive line, he still managed one sack, three QB hits, and three forced fumbles. While those numbers are down by his standards, his overall body of work paints a far more complete picture.
According to PFSN’s Defensive Tackle Impact Grading System, Williams has consistently ranked among the top players at his position throughout his career:
- 2020: 93.9 (Ranked #2)
- 2021: 81.4
- 2022: 88.6 (Ranked #8)
- 2023: 94.2 (Ranked #2)
- 2024: 83.4
- 2025: 82.7 (Ranked #10)
At his peak, Williams was not only a top-10 defensive tackle but one of the best defensive players in the league, period. Meanwhile, the Jets’ team defensive impact grade (DEFi) tells a different story: from 67 in 2020, it peaked at 90 in 2023 before plummeting back down to 67.5 in 2025.
Williams has been a cornerstone of the defense through all of it, but team success never followed. Given his frustration and the organization’s struggles, a change of scenery felt inevitable and perhaps necessary for both sides.
All-In on the Rebuild
If trading Sauce Gardner didn’t make it clear, this latest move leaves no doubt: the Jets are officially pushing all their chips in on a full-scale rebuild. Both Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams were considered cornerstone players for this Jets team. They were both elite-level talents that the new front office might’ve felt didn’t fit the timeline for them to be competitive again. Locker room frustrations could’ve been a factor in both these deals as well, but that is speculation until further evidence is released.
The organization now has a treasure chest of draft picks, financial flexibility, and a clean slate to build a sustainable contender. However, for a fan base that has endured years of false starts and failed resets, the emotional toll is real. The fact that the current regime didn’t draft these players could’ve made things easier for them to trade away.
This time, however, the Jets appear to be rebuilding with purpose. Whether that leads to a brighter future or another chapter of frustration will depend entirely on what they do with the capital they’ve acquired.