The Dallas Cowboys have no shortage of offensive talent, and when it comes to putting together the highlights of the 2025 season, no doubt, it would start with the breakout year from George Pickens and slide then into the fantastic, 4,552-yard season posted by Dak Prescott. CeeDee Lamb, despite injuries, went for 1,077 yards, marking is fifth straight 1,000-yard season and the fifth straight time he earned a Pro Bowl spot.
With a Cowboys passing game that reached such impressive consistency, it’s easy to forget that the Dallas running game was pretty good, too. All told, the Cowboys amassed 2,133 yards on the ground, 11th in the NFL.
But the star player who drove that level of performance–Javonte Williams–was a relatively quiet signing when the Cowboys first brought him in and remained so after he chewed up ground, week after week. There isn’t much flash in Williams’ game and thus, he was not much of a headline-grabber last year. Maybe that should not have been the case, though.
Javonte Williams Had a Career Year for the Cowboys
Williams, who is 25, racked up 1,201 yards on the ground, on 252 carries, with 11 touchdowns. All of those were career highs, as well as this: 4.8 yards per carry, which was his average last season, considerably better than the 4.0 yards he averaged in his first four seasons, spent with the Broncos.
Williams was the kind of reliable, every-down back from Week 1 on that the Cowboys have not had since Ezekiel Elliott’s first stint. He wound up ranked eighth in the league in touchdowns, 10th in carries and ninth in yardage. All of that earned Williams a contract with the Cowboys–after he was one a one-year, prove-it deal in Dallas, he was signed to a three-year, $24 million contract before free agency hit.
An ‘Underappreciated’ Cowboys Star
At NFL.com, Williams is seen as something more than a relative unknown–he is seen as the most unappreciated Cowboys player on the roster. That was the assertion for site writer Tom Blair, who ranked the most unappreciated player on each of the NFC rosters, and pointed to Williams for the Cowboys.
Wrote Blair: “(Williams’ 2025 stat line) wasn’t even just the best season of his career — it was one of the best running back seasons by any Cowboy this century. Since 2000, three Dallas players have logged at least one season with 1,100-plus rushing yards and 10-plus rushing TDs: DeMarco Murray (2014), Ezekiel Elliott (2016 and ’19) and Williams. …
“And the three-year, $24 million extension Williams signed this offseason hardly pushes him out of the salary range for this list, putting him at the same pay-per-year level as D’Andre Swift ($8 million).”
Dak Prescott Appreciates Javonte Williams
Williams might seem even more undervalued by his contract, which is a good bargain for the Cowboys even at $8 million per year. Sure, the running back market is generally undervalued, but even within that range, Williams’ contract is team-friendly.
And though he might be undervalued elsewhere, that’s not the case within The Star–and not for his quarterback.
“It was huge,” Prescott said of Williams re-signing. “I sent him some messages, obviously. [He’s our] valedictorian. I let him know how much I appreciate him, and having him back. I’m just glad they were able to get the deal done, for all parties. He’s a huge part of our success and what we’re gonna do.”
Cowboys $24 Million Find Tabbed ‘Most Underappreciated’