The New York Jets have made their second blockbuster deal of the day.
The Dallas Cowboys are acquiring former All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
That marks the second Pro Bowl defensive player the Jets have parted ways with.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Jets are receiving defensive tackle Mazi Smith, Dallas’ 2026 second-round pick, and the higher of the Cowboys’ two first-round picks in 2027, either their own or the Green Bay Packers‘.
Williams, New York’s third overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, was the Jets’ most decorated player as a one-time All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler.
After both the Sauce Gardner and Williams trades, the Jets are now projected to have four picks in the top 100 of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Quinnen Williams Reportedly ‘Unhappy’ With Direction of Jets
According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, Williams was unsure about the direction of the New York Jets and was willing to continue his career elsewhere.
“For the last few weeks, Williams has expressed his unhappiness in New York. The Jets listened, and now send him to Dallas,” Russini wrote on X.
Now, he ends up with the Cowboys, who have been searching for help on defense since trading away Micah Parsons in August.
Additional reporting from SNY’s Connor Hughes reiterated that Williams was looking for a fresh start.
“Williams made the Jets aware he wanted a fresh start. His desired destination was the Cowboys.”
Jets Armed With Draft Capital for a Full-on Rebuild
The New York Jets came into the trade deadline lacking in the draft pick department.
Thanks to previous general manager Joe Douglas’ Haason Reddick trade, New York did not have a third-round pick in 2026.
Now, after both the Gardner and Williams trades, the Jets will have plenty of ammo to work with over the next two years as they build out the roster.
Armed with two firsts and two seconds in 2026, New York will have the ability to move up the board if they feel they can land their franchise quarterback in next April’s draft.
It gets even better in 2027, when the Jets have three selections in the first round to work with.
All in all, it certainly stings parting ways with two defensive cornerstones who have had good tenures with the Jets.
But the roster was clearly not good enough to win right now, and general manager Darren Mougey has his work cut out for him as a new era in New York gets underway.
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