Sam Williams: Everything you need to know

The Cowboys re-signed Williams to a one-year, $3 million contract Monday, NFL reporter Jordan Schultz reports. After missing the entire 2024 season with a torn ACL, Williams appeared in all 17 regular-season games last season, making five starts. He logged a career-best 37 tackles (23 solo) but finished with just 1.0 sacks, two pass breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery on 43 percent of the defensive snaps. Williams figures to fill a rotational role along the defensive line for Dallas next season.

Williams played in 17 games during the 2025-26 regular season, totaling 37 tackles (including 1.0 sacks), two defensed passes, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Williams took on a larger role after missing all of 2024 while recovering from a torn ACL. He logged the first five starts of his career and totaled a career-high 469 defensive snaps, but while he also recorded a career-best 37 stops, he registered only 1.0 sacks after totaling 9.5 sacks across his first two seasons. Williams is slated to be an unrestricted free agent, and there's no guarantee the Cowboys will attempt to bring him back.

Williams logged five tackles (three solo) during the Cowboys' 24-20 loss to the Eagles on Thursday. Williams missed all of last season after tearing his ACL and MCL during training camp, so Thursday's game marked his first regular-season game since Jan. 7, 2024 against the Commanders. He played 39 of 63 defensive snaps (61.9 percent), which was more than fellow defensive ends Marshawn Kneeland (30), Dante Fowler (27) and Donovan Ezeiruaku (22). Williams and the Cowboys will head home to Dallas to host the NFC East rival Giants on Sunday, Sept. 14.