Williams inks a lucrative three-year deal, solidifying the Cowboys' ground game and extending their offensive prowess beyond the backfield.
FRISCO - When it comes to free agency, the Dallas Cowboys stand accused of foot-dragging and of frugality.
Not this time.
In advance of NFL free agency, which doesn't open until next month, on Saturday it was revealed that running back Javonte Williams is skipping that opportunity to stick with Dallas.
NFL.com reports that it's a three-year deal totaling $24 million.
After a superb 2025 season that saw Javonte quieten all the skeptics with 1,201 yards and 11 TDs as he was the driving force behind the Cowboys having a top 10 run game, now he's set to be a free agent, too.
Of course, his situation is far different from George's.
We have already heard COO Stephen Jones state his desire to have Williams return to Dallas on a multi-year deal, so that is a good place to start.
Williams signed a one-year, $3 million deal in the 2025 offseason, so we wonderwd ... what could he get this offseason? $6 or $7 million APY over three years? That seemed likely.
But he gets a more handsome payday than that.
Some national observers thought of Williams as the No. 2 running back in this free agency class, above Rico Dowdle (3), Kenneth Walker (4), and Travis Etienne (5).
And Dallas obviously thinks that, too, of the former Broncos second-round pick who is still just 25 years old.
This is all quite the feather in Javonte's cap, and it points to what we recently called "Williams' skyrocketing value.''
What he did for coach Brian Schottenheimer's offense was nothing short of superb. He averaged 4.8 yards per carry, the highest by a Cowboys starting running back since Tony Pollard (5.2) in 2022.
With Williams and his powerful and bruising running style, defenses had to commit more to stopping run, something that they weren't able to do in previous years. That then allowed Pickens and CeeDee Lamb to feast in the secondary (both surpassed 1,000 yards).
So Javonte's worth goes beyond just his rushing yards; it is what he does for the passing game, not to mention his talents as an elite pass protector as well.
Oh, and he's a very bright guy - and RKG, too. ("Right Kind of Guy.'')
We knew Dallas thought it wise to sign him long-term. Bur we didn't know it would happen for this much ... or this fast.