Cowboys' Javonte Williams reached major contract milestone before early Christmas exit

The Dallas Cowboys had the team's best rushing performance of the season on Christmas Day, in the team's 30-23 victory over the Washington Commanders. Dallas rushed for 211 yards in the win.

Leading rusher Javonte Williams carried the ball 13 times for 54 yards and a touchdown before exiting in the first half after aggravating a nagging shoulder injury. Malik Davis filled in for an injured Williams and shone in relief with 20 carries and 103 yards, both career highs.

Despite leaving the game early, Williams was able to hit a major milestone in his contract, maxing out his incentives package for the season.

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As a result, Williams earns a total of $3 million for the year. His incentives package totaled $500,000.

Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams runs for a touchdown against the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Williams received $250,000 for each of the following:

1,250 scrimmage yards: Williams surpassed that mark in Week 16. Entering the final game of the season, Williams has totaled 1,338 scrimmage yards.
12 total touchdowns: Williams entered Christmas with 12 total touchdowns (10 rushing and 2 receiving), and recorded his 13th touchdown of the season during his limited action on Christmas.

After massively outperforming his contract, Williams will hit free agency in the NFL offseason at just 25 years old.

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Since he is dealing with a nagging shoulder injury and has already maxed out his contract for the season, it wouldn't be a surprise if the Cowboys handed the RB1 role over to Malik Davis for Week 18.

It will also be interesting to see how aggressive the Cowboys are in pursuing Williams during the offseason, after his standout performance this year. He has shown he can be a bellcow back for the team, and considering their recent struggles to find a reliable running game before Williams came around, they would be wise to strongly consider bringing him back to Dallas for 2026 and beyond.

Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams celebrates with Dak Prescott after a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings at AT&T Stadium. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

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