FRISCO, Texas -- The X factor for the Dallas Cowboys to achieve their Super Bowl hopes and dreams isn't quarterback Dak Prescott. Dallas' four-time Pro Bowl quarterback will likely continue to produce the sparkling numbers -- 4,552 yards passing (third-most in the NFL in 2025) and 30 passing touchdowns (fourth-most in the NFL in 2025) -- he did last season while conducting a loaded Cowboys attack that features himself, Pro Bowl wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, plus running back Javonte Williams, the league's ninth-leading rusher with 1,201 yards on the ground in 2025. Having all that offensive firepower while being paired with the NFL's worst scoring defense (30.1 points per game allowed in 2025) resulted in a 7-9-1 campaign and a second year in a row watching the playoffs from the couch.
What the Cowboys need to truly make a leap toward the Vince Lombardi Trophy is a competent defense led by a disruptive interior force. That's why the crown jewel of their defensive overhaul under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker and 2026 season X factor is four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. That is a burden he is willing to carry after Dallas traded for him midseason last year and re-signed him this summer to a three-year, $105.9 million extension that makes him the league's second-highest-paid defensive tackle in terms of average-per-year salary ($35.3 million).
"I felt at home when they traded for me, when I first got a chance to come into the building, and I got a chance to play my first game here," Williams said Wednesday. "I feel like when you trade for somebody, especially in the middle of the season, you expect them to help you go in the right direction, to help you. With that responsibility, man, I felt at home immediately.
"[They] put that responsibility on me, the trust in me to be able to do that. I was super happy about getting traded here, and I want to be here for the rest of my career." Head coach Brian Schottenheimer also indicated that he also feels like Williams can be the difference-maker Dallas needs him to be through his actions. Schottenheimer moved Williams' locker this season to the middle of the room right next to Prescott's, which gives Williams the ability to address the entire room whenever he feels moved to do so.
On a related note, he announced Williams, Prescott, defensive tackle Kenny Clark and kicker Brandon Aubrey as Dallas' 2026 team captains as voted on entirely by their teammates. "From the minute he got here, he's been about one thing, and it's winning. He's never won in the NFL.
The talent is incredible, but every decision that guy makes is what's best for us winning," Schottenheimer said Thursday. "I love that about him, and it's infectious. I love hearing him talk to young linemen and defenders.
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