Don’t look now, but the Dallas Cowboys are the NFL’s hottest team
The Dallas Cowboys may be on of the NFL’s hottest teams, but can they make the playoffs? USA TODAY Sports’ Jarrett bell breaks it down.
Sports Pulse
Micah Parsons, the New York Jet?
That was almost a reality – a reality that also would have included another first-round pick for the Jets and their general manager, Darren Mougey, to work with – according to Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones.
Jones told Dallas-area radio station 105.3 The FAN that he tried to trade Parsons and a first-round pick to the Jets for defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. Initial talks began before the 2025 season but never materialized.
“I tried to get the Jets in training camp,” Jones said. “I wanted a (first-round pick) and Parsons for Williams. That’s how much I thought of Williams.”
Parsons ended up with the Green Bay Packers one week before the regular season began. The trade netted the Cowboys two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark. Green Bay signed Parsons to a four-year, $186 million extension after the trade was complete to make him the NFL’s highest-paid defender.
#Cowboys owner Jerry Jones claims he offered the #Jets Micah Parsons AND a 1st-rounder for Quinnen Williams during training camp.
“I thought that much of Williams. And he’s showing what he can do.”
Jerry says the Jets didn’t have the cap room to pay Micah.
(🎥 @1053thefan) pic.twitter.com/Fqqr4UXtnN
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 28, 2025
In the end, Williams also ended up in Dallas. Ahead of the NFL trade deadline earlier this month, the Cowboys traded defensive tackle Mazi Smith, a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 first-round pick to the Jets for Williams.
Asked why the Williams trade broke down in training camp but worked out before the trade deadline, Jones said the Jets did not have the cap space to pay Parsons.
Williams recorded 1.5 sacks in his first game with the Cowboys in Week 11. In three games with his second team, he has 1.5 sacks, nine tackles – including two tackles for a loss – and seven quarterback hits.
The Cowboys have won three straight games since acquiring Williams before the trade deadline. Their maligned defense has appeared to have turned a corner in recent weeks, and Dallas has climbed back up to a winning record and into the NFC East title hunt.