Sunday's loss to the Minnesota Vikings was a heartbreaker for the Dallas Cowboys in multiple ways. Not only did the defeat leave their playoff hopes hanging by a hair, but the Cowboys were also given a scare when star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams exited the loss in the fourth quarter with a concussion and didn't return.
With how well he's played since arriving from the New York Jets before the trade deadline, being without Williams for the season's final stretch would be a massive blow for the Cowboys. Before Week 15, the former 2019 first-rounder is up to 26 pressures (18 hurries, six quarterback hits, two sacks) since donning a Dallas jersey, and he built on that success when he picked off Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy for his first interception with the franchise.
Naturally, Cowboys fans were eager to hear the latest on Williams' outlook during the postgame fallout. And with the update that head coach Brian Schottenheimer gave, it's clear what America's Team must do next.
Cowboys Must Shut Quinnen Williams Down for Rest of the 2025 Season
According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Nick Harris, Schottenheimer told reporters that the talented gap-plugger will open Week 16 in the NFL's concussion protocol. And, as such, he'll have to clear each step before he can play again.
It sounds like there's a chance Williams could return by the end of the year. At the same time, that doesn't mean he should. The Cowboys paid a premium price to snag him from the Jets, and he still has two years with over $47.2 million in cash left on his contract, per Spotrac. The last thing owner/general manager Jerry Jones needs is for Williams to be rushed back and hurt, leaving Dallas with a major financial albatross to deal with, depending on how he recovers.
With Sunday's loss, the playoffs are nothing more than a pipe dream for the Cowboys. Not only do they need to win the rest of their games to clinch a postseason berth and the NFC East title, but they also need the rival Philadelphia Eagles to lose each of their remaining games down the stretch. It might be best for Schottenheimer & Co. to shut down any banged-up players, especially if they're as crucial as Williams.
As much as Dallas fans would love to see Philadelphia blow its lead, that's a long shot, too, as two of the Eagles' next three games are against the Washington Commanders — a team they have beaten 13 times in the last 17 clashes.
At the end of the day, Williams has only needed a handful of games to prove how important he is to the Cowboys' defensive outlook. His presence is exactly what Dallas has needed since Micah Parsons was traded to the Green Bay Packers. There's no doubt that the Cowboys need him at his best in 2026, and if that means giving him a premature offseason, so be it.
America's Team must start next season hot after how poorly this campaign went. A well-rested and fully healed Williams gives the Cowboys their best shot at making that happen.