Quinnen Williams Calls Cowboys Trade An 'Unbelievable Honor,' Eyes 'Winning Culture'

Quinnen Williams says he is excited to start working on "building a winning culture" now that he has been traded from the 1-7 New York Jets to the 3-5-1 Dallas Cowboys.

"I definitely was surprised by it," Williams told reporters Wednesday about the trade. "It's unbelievable, though, to be able to come to an organization with so much history, so much talent on the team, great ownership, great group of guys in the locker room and a great head coach."

Williams continued, "This is an unbelievable honor that they traded for me to help them come do things that they aspire to do, especially when it comes down to building a winning culture. And I definitely want to be part of a winning culture."

The Cowboys traded a 2026 second-round pick, 2027 first rounder and defensive tackle Mazi Smith in order to acquire Williams from the Jets ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline.

Williams had recorded 32 tackles, including seven for loss, as well as three forced fumbles and a sack through eight games of his seventh season with the Jets.

The defensive lineman played a total of 98 games for the Jets since the franchise selected him with the No. 3 pick of the 2019 NFL draft.

The Jets won seven games during Williams' first NFL season in 2019. The franchise has yet to eclipse that win total since then, and is on track to extend their playoff drought to a league-high 15 years this winter.

"I'm hungry to win. That's the main thing," Williams said Wednesday. "Like I said in the beginning, I'm the ultimate competitor. Everything I do is about winning. Everything I do, everything I work. When I wake up, I just want to win. That kind of forms my ego of, I can do anything the coaches ask me to do if it's going to get us a win."

Williams is now headed to Dallas, where the Cowboys are just two years removed from their last postseason appearance and three from their last playoff win.

The Cowboys' hopes of making it back to the playoff behind a healthy campaign from star quarterback Dak Prescott has so far been jeopardized by the team's struggles on defense.

The absence of Green Bay Packers pass rusher Micah Parsons has been visible as the Cowboys defense allowed more than 30 points per game through Week 9.

Williams, who has more of an interior focus, won't be a replacement for Parsons. But he told reporters he's excited about his fit on a defensive line already staffed by two top tackles in Kenny Clark and Osa Odighizuwa.

"I know Kenny Clark very well. I studied his film like no other when he was at Green Bay, and the 2-tech rushing he did," Williams said. "I love to see O do the things he's done recently, the last two to three years, the pass rushing and the run stop that he has, and the disruptions that he has also. And you've got Solomon Thomas in that room, also, who I'm very familiar with.

"I'm just super ecstatic to be part of a group of guys that not only I can learn from, grow with, but work alongside."

Williams will have some extra time to adjust to his new team, while Matt Eberflus will get a chance to work on any scheme adjustments to incorporate his three top defensive tackles, during the Cowboys' Week 10 bye.

The Cowboys' newest addition could make his team debut during a Week 11 matchup at the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday, Nov. 17.