Report: Dallas Cowboys re-sign DE Sam Williams to one-year deal

The Dallas Cowboys are re-signing DE Sam Williams to a one-year, $3 million deal, per Jordan Schultz. Williams is a former second-round pick.

Williams has spent his first three seasons in the NFL with the Cowboys. During that time, he’s compiled 9.5 sacks, 22 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles. The extra year of his contract comes as he had one of his four seasons of his rookie contract saw him sidelined with an ACL tear suffered in training camp.

This past season, he logged 37 tackles (23 solo) and a pair of pass breakups. Williams focused on his pass-rushing skills during his first two years, logging 8.5 of his career sacks during the 2022 and 2023 seasons before coming out as run stuffer in 2025. He stuffed running backs at the line of scrimmage seven times (he did so 10 times as a rookie in 2023).

Dallas selected Williams with the No. 24 pick in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. This came after three productive seasons in Oxford (2019-21) and an impressive showing at the NFL Combine.

Now, he’ll return to Dallas for at least one more season. Now, the former Ole Miss standout looks to build off his career-highs set in 2025.

Williams’ re-signing is one of several moves the Cowboys have made as free agency kicks off this week. Other moves include Dallas signing safety Jalen Thompson to a three-year deal, traded for former Pro Bowler and fellow defensive end Rashan Gary in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick and restructured OT Terence Steele‘s contract.

These moves are in anticipation of the Cowboys hoping for their first playoff berth since the 2023 season. Last year, Dallas finished the season with a 7-9-1 record.

All of that was just on day one of free agency, which doesn’t officially get underway until Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET. More moves are sure to come in the coming days and weeks.