Dak Prescott shares 3-word reaction after Quinnen Williams’ trade to Cowboys

Dak Prescott is thrilled to see the Dallas Cowboys bolster their defense during the trade deadline.

On Tuesday, the club acquired Quinnen Williams from the New York Jets, giving up Mazi Smith, plus a second-round pick next year and a conditional first-rounder in 2027. Dallas Cowboys beat writer Jon Machota said Dak is over the moon about the deal.

“I’m f**king pumped,” is what Machota says Prescott told him following the move.

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Williams has been to three straight Pro Bowls and was a First-team All-Pro defensive tackle in 2022. He’s made 17 solo tackles while registering one quarterback sack in 2025.

The Cowboys have been in desperate need of some help on the defensive side of the ball. They rank 31st in the NFL regarding yards allowed per gams at 397.4. Meanwhile, they rank 17th in quarterback sacks, with 20 as a team.

In July 2023, Williams signed a four-year extension with the Jets worth $96 million, with $66 million guaranteed. He’s been on the NFL’s Top 100 list in 2024 and 2025, coming in at #87 heading into this season.

Williams will be expected to bring more heat with the Cowboys, a team that has regressed a little in that department since trading Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers ahead of the regular season. Williams’ best season in terms of sacks came in 2022 when he registered a dozen for the Jets. Three times in his NFL career, he has had double-digit sacks. Leaving New York was emotional for Williams.

He wasn’t the only move Jerry Jones made on trade deadline day Tuesday. The club also acquired linebacker Logan Wilson from the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for a seventh-round pick next year. Wilson has registered over 100 tackles combined in four seasons and is expected to add some stability to that position.

Cowboys get varied grades on trade deadline day

Few would argue the Cowboys needed to make some upgrades on the defensive front; there are varying opinions, though on whether or not the moves made on Tuesday will drastically improve this team.

USA Today gave the Williams trade a B+ and Wilson’s a C-, saying the D-line is improved, but they wonders if the Cowboys gave up too much in these trades.

The Athletic gave the Williams trade a B- and the Wilson one a C+, questioning whether it drastically improves the team now.

ESPN were Dallas’s harshest critic for trading away draft resources for veteran players. They gave the Williams trade an F, saying acquiring a contract-heavy player like him, who’s coming from a struggling team, is hard to understand. Wilson’s trade got a B-.

Edited by Joel Lefevre