The Dallas Cowboys’ defensive tackle Quinnen Williams celebrated his first milestone in his Cowboys debut with a dance. While he enjoyed the moment with his new teammates, there’s already a stir within the franchise about keeping him long-term.

Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer had massive praise for the DT as he urged that the team should keep him.

“Q’s a really good football player. We should keep him,” he said as Jon Machota reported on X.

Earlier, the Cowboys acquired the player in a blockbuster trade with the New York Jets at the deadline. It was an expensive deal, with Dallas sending its 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick, and Mazi Smith to New York to get him. Both Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and coach Schottenheimer were confident in the move.

And Williams seemed to live up to those expectations. He recorded 1.5 sacks and 4 QB hits in his Cowboys debut, becoming just the fourth player in franchise history to notch at least 1.5 sacks in his first game. Now, if it’s a request from the coach, Jones may want to consider it.

Moreover, the owner’s reaction to the player recording his first sack gave quite the impression that he might already be interested in keeping him. The owner, who sat in his suite at Allegiant Stadium, was seen grinning as Williams brought down Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith in the second quarter. This could be a good indication.

The last few days have been tough for the Cowboys. After losing Kneeland Marshawn to a tragic accident during their bye week, the team opened the game by paying tribute to him. The players also kept their promise to honor Kneeland with their performance. While the team delivered one of its best outings, Kneeland’s jersey hung behind the Cowboys’ bench.

And after this heartbreaking tragedy and spending days reassuring fans that the team would bounce back, Jones seemed to finally have a reason to smile. It was a huge moment for Williams as well.

Quinnen Williams broke his own record in his debut performance for the Cowboys

Before Williams, Eric Kendricks, Greg Hardy, and La’Roi Glover had all achieved this accomplishment with the Cowboys. Now, Williams not only set a franchise record, but he also broke his own season total from his time with the Jets. He had posted only 1.0 sacks and three QB hits over his last few games there.

That underwhelming stretch may have left the tackle frustrated during his final days with the Jets. After the trade, Williams had hinted at his frustration for all his time.

“I think the world knew I was frustrated being there so long and still losing,” Williams said after the trade. “Any ultra-competitor, man, any guy who plays this game to win is going to be frustrated no matter if you win 100 games and lose that one.”

His impressive performance was a refreshing relief for both the player and the Cowboys. Meanwhile, the offense also delivered one of its best performances as usual. Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott threw four touchdown passes, completing 25 of 33 attempts for 268 yards. Wide receiver George Pickens notched up 144 receiving yards and a touchdown.

All in all, it was an incredible game for the Cowboys, and they will need to carry this momentum into their next matchup too.