Even the most casual of Dallas Cowboys fans knows that the team got a breakout season from wide receiver George Pickens in 2025, his first with the team following a trade from Pittsburgh. But there was another newcomer who left his mark with the best season of his career, too. That was free-agent signee Javonte Williams, who posted 1,201 yards on 252 carries with 11 touchdowns, the first 1,000-yard season of his career.
Williams had been a part-time starter, splitting carries with Jaleel McLaughlin, in Denver before coming to the Cowboys with a full-time starting role. He lived up to the job and was rewarded with a $24 million, three-year contract in the offseason. The Cowboys have not had the same RB1 in back-to-back years since Tony Pollard, so the consistency from Williams has been most welcome.
Cowboys Won’t ‘Copy-and-Paste’ Running Game
But here’s the thing: Speaking ahead of the opener vs. the Giants, coach Brian Schottenheimer says the Cowboys are not looking to let Williams rest on his laurels. He was asked about keeping the run game the same in 2026, and Schottenheimer shot that down.
The coach said: “I don’t think it is a copy-and-paste with Javonte. I think at the end of the day I think Javonte’s still got room to improve. He’s still a young player, you know. The intentionality that he practices with, the run instincts, the run skill, I think Year 2 in this system of what we’re trying to do in the running game, I think he’s going to be really, really good with.
“Like I said, he’s our bell-cow. We feed him. He’s so violent with the way he runs and plays that we have to take care of him during the week.”
More Rest for Javonte Williams
The Cowboys did enter the offseason hoping to take some wear-and-tear off of Williams, who was 10th in the NFL with 252 carries, a career high. The plan was to formulate a stronger No. 2 running back option, with 2025 draftees Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah as the candidates. But both flamed out and were released. The Cowboys instead promoted former UDFA and fourth-stringer Malik Davis to the No. 2 role.
But that might not mean a big reduction in Williams’ carries. As Schottenheimer mentioned, the team has been resting him during practices–it remains to see whether he will be getting more rest during games.
Davis has shown he can handle the NFL game, but has only 90 carries for 411 yards in four seasons with the Cowboys. That includes a 103-yard showing in the Christmas win over Washington last year. The Cowboys also added Emari Demercado, a former starter for the Cardinals, to the running back mix.
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