Why Quinnen Williams Extension Could Prove That Cowboys Won Micah Parsons Trade

Colin Cowherd is ready to ask a question that some thought might have been unimaginable a year ago: Did the Dallas Cowboys actually win the Micah Parsons trade?

A day after the Cowboys extended four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to a three-year, $105.9 million deal, Cowherd thinks there’s momentum building toward the idea that Dallas won its trade with the Green Bay Packers. 

“People were freaking out about the Micah Parsons trade. I would make an argument by October or Thanksgiving, the Dallas Cowboys, it could be official, won the Micah Parsons deal,” Cowherd said on Tuesday’s edition of “The Herd.” “You got Quinnen Williams, a Pro Bowl defensive tackle. By the way, when they traded Micah, initially, the Cowboys got worse. That gave them a better draft pick. That draft pick became Caleb Downs, who, to me, is the steal of the draft. I think there’s an argument he could be the best player in the draft.

“You don’t get that if the Cowboys had two or three more wins [last season]. … We overvalue non-quarterback stars in this league.”

The Cowboys acquired the star defensive tackle in a trade with the New York Jets ahead of the trade deadline last season, using some of the draft capital they got in the deal with the Packers for Parsons. Dallas received defensive tackle and three-time Pro Bowler Kenny Clark and first-round picks in 2026 and 2027 from Green Bay for Parsons. Then, they traded a 2027 first-round pick, a 2026 second-round pick and defensive tackle Mazi Smith to the Jets for Williams. 

As for the 2026 first-round pick the Cowboys received from the Packers, the Cowboys selected UCF Knights linebacker Malachi Lawrence with the No. 23 pick after a trade-back. Earlier in the draft, they traded up one spot to select Ohio State Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs with the No. 11 pick.

The Packers, meanwhile, saw Parsons have an encouraging debut season with the franchise, logging 12.5 sacks, earning his third career All-Pro honor and finishing third among edge defenders in overall grade (91.9), according to Pro Football Focus. However, Parsons’ 2025 campaign ended after 14 games due to a torn ACL, which is expected to keep him off the field for at least the first month of the 2026 season.

With Parsons sidelined, the Packers lost their last five combined games of the season (regular season and postseason), ending with an NFC wild-card round loss to the Chicago Bears. The two teams actually faced off in Week 4 of last season, playing to a 40-40 tie. 

Granted, the Cowboys went on to miss the playoffs for a second consecutive season, and their defense finished last in points allowed. However, with the reinforcements Dallas has received thanks to the Parsons trade, Cowherd thinks the Cowboys are on the rise. 

“I look at the Cowboys’ roster, between Caleb Downs, Quinnen Williams and the roster flexibility, this is the best team they’ve had, in terms of overall talent, arguably in a decade,” Cowherd later said. “The Cowboys are in a good spot.”