New York Jets Trade Superstar Defensive Lineman
The New York Jets have now made two blockbuster trades right before the trade deadline. After trading away their young superstar cornerback Sauce Gardner just an hour or so before, they have now traded away franchise stalwart and former All-Pro Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys. The Jets are receiving a second-round pick in 2026, a first-round pick in 2027, and former Cowboys’ first-rounder Mazi Smith. The Cowboys receive a major piece for their defensive line that has been underwhelming at best since they traded away Micah Parsons.
The rumors of Quinnen’s trade have been circulating for a few weeks now. Quinnen internally had stated that he was looking for a fresh start, according to Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. The Jets weren’t looking to trade him for anything less than a package that blew them away, and Dallas’ offer clearly did. The Cowboys have had one of the worst defenses in the league this season, and are hoping that the addition of Q in the middle of their line can help solidify it.
From the Jets’ side of it, this one hurt the fanbase much more than Sauce, since Quinnen has been such a staple for the Jets over the last six seasons. He’s consistently been impactful on and off the field, and was one of the few home-grown players that the Joe Douglas regime paid past their rookie deal. Quinnen was a major leader in the locker room and a three time captain. A fan favorite ever since his viral “bless you, thank you” moment on draft night.
Unfortunately, the NFL is a business, and the deal the Cowboys offered was one that most people in the league would be hard-pressed not to accept. With the Sauce Gardner trade along with this trade, the Jets will have five first-round picks in the next two years, along with three second-round picks. Mazi Smith has been incredibly underwhelming since coming into the league three years ago, but the Jets are hoping he can rebuild his career in a new environment. He was a very talented player coming out of college, and a different coaching staff might be able to get some more out of him. All of these picks and players are going to be used to build around the next young quarterback that the Jets end up picking in the future. They are going all-in to rebuild this roster as quickly as they can.
