The Cowboys recently added three new years to the two remaining seasons on defensive tackle Quinnen Williams’s contract.
The new-money average always generates a headline. For Williams, it’s $105.9 million, an average of $35.3 million per year.
But the headline never tells the whole story. How much is Williams guaranteed to make? When can the Cowboys tear up the deal with minimal cash or cap impact?
That requires a look at the full terms. And here they are, per a source with knowledge of the agreement:
1. Signing bonus: $31.85 million.
2. 2026 base salary: $1.3 million, fully guaranteed.
3. 2026 per-game active roster bonus: $1 million total, fully guaranteed (but must be earned).
4. 2027 option bonus: $26.355 million, fully guaranteed.
5. 2027 base salary: $1.845 million, fully guaranteed. (It includes a $500,000 de-escalator tied to compliance with the offseason program.)
6. 2027 per-game active roster bonus: $1 million total, fully guaranteed (but must be earned).
7. 2028 option bonus: $26.91 million, guaranteed for injury and fully guaranteed as of March 2027.
8. 2028 base salary: $1.89 million, guaranteed for injury and fully guaranteed as of March 2027. (It includes a $500,000 de-escalator tied to compliance with the offseason program.)
9. 2028 per-game active roster bonus: $1 million total, guaranteed for injury and fully guaranteed as of March 2027 (but must be earned).
10. 2029 option bonus: $25.065 million.
11. 2029 base salary: $1.935 million. (It includes a $500,000 de-escalator tied to compliance with the offseason program.)
12. 2029 per-game roster bonus: $1 million total.
(Of the 2029 compensation package, $7.85 million is guaranteed for injury at signing. It becomes fully guaranteed in March 2028.)
13. 2030 option bonus: $29.02 million.
14. 2029 base salary: $1.98 million. (It includes a $500,000 de-escalator tied to compliance with the offseason program.)
15. 2029 per-game roster bonus: $1 million total.
The full guarantee at signing is $63.35 million. By March 2027, $93.15 million becomes fully guaranteed. In March 2028, the total injury guarantee of $101 million becomes fully vested.
The contract fully guarantees the first two years, with the third year fully guaranteed after the first season. It means, as a practical matter, that Williams has three guaranteed years. The final two years operate at the team’s option, with $7.85 million in 2029 guarantees that would be subject to offset.
It means that Williams has a three-year, $93.15 million deal ($31.05 million per year) before the contract becomes a year-to-year arrangement for the final two.
The full payout over five years is $153.15 million, an average of $30.63 million.
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