Williams is coming off a career year in 2025, which leads some to think he might be a little worse for wear in 2026.
Javonte Williams has gone from being a "meh'' signing in 2025 to being a "major'' signing for the Dallas Cowboys this offseason.
A year ago, in an offseason coming from the Denver Broncos, where he dealt with injuries, many were unsure exactly what to expect from Javonte.
We hardly saw him in the preseason, but that was with good reason. Dallas already had him penciled in as its starter.
And that move paid dividends, with Williams posting a career-best 1,201 rushing yards along with 11 TDs to be the driving force behind the Cowboys having a top-10 run game.
Williams' brutal power, coupled with his ability to juke and crash forward for extra yards, made him a sneaky good option out of the backfield, and he had a super year.
And he was rewarded with a three-year, $24 million deal this offseason.
But there are some who are a little skeptical about whether Javonte can repeat his feats from last season.
Why? Because he had 252 carries, by far the most in his NFL career, and we know for running backs that they have a short shelf life.
Javonte's 252 carries ranked as the 10th-most in football, so he had a high volume, but not among the most in the NFL. Still, is there reason to think that he could regress in 2026 due to having a career-high in attempts?
On face value, you could say yes, but if we delve a little deeper into the numbers, maybe the fears over Williams will be eased.
Usually, when we talk about this being a fear for running backs, they are coming off 300+ carries, as four running backs did in 2025 (Christian McCaffrey, Jonathan Taylor, Derrick Henry, and James Cook).
But Williams is short of that, and, looking at his 2025 numbers, he didn't actually have "big" games in terms of attempts.
Just three times all season did Williams have 20 or more carries in a game. Eight times, he had 15 or fewer carries. So, the wear and tear wasn't exactly huge.
Now, we know he was dealing with a shoulder issue, which is why he saw a lighter workload towards the end of the season, but overall, he wasn't asked to tote a heavy load.
So while some might be a little worried about a Javonte regression in 2026 due to his number of carries the year prior, he wasn't the bellcow some thought he was.
Plus, if Jaydon Blue is the player the Cowboys want him to be, Williams' touches, in theory, should go down.
With means a fresher Javonte in 2026. Not a tired one.
