On March 9, 2026, the Dallas Cowboys and defensive end Sam Williams agreed to a one-year deal. After picking up in the 2nd round of the 2022 NFL draft, many expected that the organization would let go Williams at the end of his rookie contract. That did not happen. Thanks to his well-played 17 games in the 2025 season. But as the training camp is around the corner, Williams might have to face a trade.
Yes. That is true. There is a significant amount of possibility that the star defensive end would have to leave the team before the training camp in Oxnard. But as the rumors are swirling around the 27-year-old DE, NFL analysts are doubling down on describing how good defensive player Williams is and what he is capable of changing in the locker room wherever he goes, if his trade possibilities do not settle down.
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On July 25, analysts of the Angry Cowboys Fan podcast were discussing Williams. “We know what Sam Williams can be. He was coming off an ACL. He’s a full now he’s a full two years removed. This year was all training instead of rehab. You know what I’m saying? So with those two guys, you know, working the way that they should and Sam Williams going back to his natural position on the defense, then maybe that bodes well for those guys. So I mean, the room is already packed”, one podcaster said.
Williams suffered a torn ACL and partial MCL tear in his left knee during a special teams drill at Dallas Cowboys training camp on July 28, 2024, in Oxnard, California. After that he underwent season ending surgery shortly afterward and missed the entire 2024 NFL season.
After spending months rehabilitating the injury, Williams was cleared to return for the 2025 offseason program and played all the games of the regular season.
In that podcast, another panelist added, “I look at Sam. He’s my guy, man. Very much so in the community out here in Dallas. Any event you see him out there doing things for the family, which is his brand. And I like the fact that he can’t be overlooked or underlooked in this situation because of the simple fact of his past. Right. He gets hit with, oh, he’s an overaggressive guy, a high penalty guy. But he was coming off of an injury.” And after coming out of the injury, he still played well.
To talk about his stats from the 2025 season, Williams finished the year with 37 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, and one sack while reestablishing himself in the Cowboys’ defensive line rotation after missing the previous season with a knee injury.
Before arriving in Dallas, Williams was one of the SEC’s most disruptive edge rushers at Ole Miss. During his final collegiate season, he recorded 10.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, and four forced fumbles, production that convinced the Cowboys to select him with the 56th overall pick in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Across his first three NFL seasons, Williams has shown flashes as a productive rotational pass rusher. Through 49 career regular season games, he has totaled 9.5 sacks, 22 tackles for loss, 74 total tackles, and two forced fumbles, while continuing to develop into a valuable piece of Dallas’ defensive front.
But even after his good productivity on the court, the star DE is under the dark clouds of trade and could leave his beloved team before reporting to Oxnard on July 28.
Sam Williams’ future with Cowboys questioned despite late season surge
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox argued that Williams could benefit from a “change of scenery,” identifying the Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers as ideal trade destinations.
“Dallas Cowboys edge-defender Sam Williams had the opportunity for a fresh start in free agency early this offseason. However, the 2022 second-round pick opted to return to Dallas on a one-year deal,” Knox wrote in his report.
Knox believes Williams may struggle for snaps because Dallas has added Rashan Gary while also drafting Malachi Lawrence and Jaishawn Barham to strengthen its edge rotation.
Despite the concerns, Williams showed encouraging signs in 2025.
After missing the entire 2024 season with a torn ACL and partial MCL suffered during training camp, his improvement caught the attention of Pro Football Focus, where Thomas Valentine named him the NFL’s “Most Improved” edge rusher in the second half of the season. From Week 10 onward, Williams earned an 80.6 PFF grade, the 11th-best among edge defenders, highlighting his potential heading into a pivotal 2026 campaign.
But as the Cowboys prepare for training camp, Williams finds himself at a crossroads. His strong finish to the 2025 season has reinforced his value while Dallas’ crowded edge rotation continues to fuel trade speculation. Whether he remains in Dallas or lands elsewhere, the 2026 season could prove to be the defining chapter of his NFL career.