Defensive end Sam Williams was headed toward becoming an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday afternoon. But the Dallas Cowboys announced on Monday night that they had reached an agreement with Williams to remain in Dallas on a one-year contract extension.
Williams had completed his four-year, $6.527 million rookie contract signed after he joined the Cowboys from Ole Miss in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Dallas did not announce the monetary value of Williams’ new one-year deal, but the Dallas News reported the deal was worth $3 million for the 2026 season.
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Williams was a standout at Lee High School (now Percy Julian) in Montgomery.
In 2025, Williams played in every game for Dallas, with five starts, after he missed the entire 2024 season. Williams bounced back with 37 tackles, one sack, seven tackles for loss, four quarterback hits, two pass breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He played a career-high 474 defensive snaps, 43 percent of the Cowboys’ total.
Williams played in 32 regular-season games and three postseason games in his first two NFL seasons. He had 48 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, 16 quarterback hits, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
Then in training camp ahead of the 2024 season, Williams suffered a torn ACL and MCL, which ended his third season before it started.