R1 After a career-best 1,201-yard season, Cowboys star RB Javonte Williams has reportedly priced himself out of Dallas — and the fallout could reshape the team’s future in a big way.
If this is their only season together, you can’t say the Dallas Cowboys didn’t get a heck of a deal with running back Javonte Williams.
Playing on a 1-year, $3 million contract, Williams was a key piece of arguably the NFL’s best offense, rushing for career highs of 1,201 yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging a career high 4.8 yards per carry.
The only problem now is Williams played so well he’s almost certainly priced his way out of Dallas, where they’re already approximately $36 million over the 2026 salary cap and staring down an offseason of dramatic roster moves to cut salaries — one that’s already started with one game remaining in the regular season and the Cowboys eliminated from playoff contention.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay thinks Williams has likely played his way into a multi-year deal with another team in the 2026 free agency cycle, with the New York Jets a likely landing spot with a contract in the range of a 3-year, $20 million deal.
Williams played the first 4 seasons of his career with the Denver Broncos, where his play flatlined in 2024 with 513 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns while averaging 3.7 yards per carry in 17 games.
“Williams bet on himself and now gets to hit free agency at an ideal time,” Kay wrote on December 30. “Despite finishing the campaign on the sidelines with a shoulder injury, the 25-year-old is set to earn a significant raise in 2026 … Dallas won’t have the flexibility to issue a large contract to Williams, but plenty of other teams could. The New York Jets make plenty of sense as a landing spot for the five-year veteran. Gang Green will likely be in the market for a Breece Hall replacement this spring and could replicate a good chunk of their star’s production at a cheaper cost via Williams.”
Back-to-Back 1,000 Yard Rushers for Cowboys
While Williams running for over 1,000 yards is remarkable, a closer examination shows that the real reason was the offensive line — an elite group that includes three first round draft picks.
It’s the second season in a row that group has produced a 1,000-yard rusher at a bargain rate. In 2024, Rico Dowdle rushed for over 1,000 yards but only scored 2 touchdowns.
Dowdle was playing on a 1-year, $1.255 million contract in 2024 with the Cowboys. He rushed for over 1,000 yards again in 2025 on a 1-year, $2.75 million contract with the Carolina Panthers.
Williams Down Bad After Time With Broncos
Williams was a second round pick (No. 54 overall) by the Broncos in the 2021 NFL draft after rushing for over 1,100 yards and earning All-American honors for the University of North Carolina in 2020.
His career took off like a rocket with the Broncos when he earned All-Rookie honors in 2021 after he racked up 1,219 yards of total offense and 7 touchdowns, including 903 rushing yards. In 2022, a devastating knee injury put Williams’ career in jeopardy after he tore his ACL, LCL and PCL in Week 4 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
In the 2 seasons after his injury, Williams was almost completely ineffective. He led the Broncos with 774 rushing yards in 2023 then experienced the massive dropoff in 2024.
