Underappreciated Cowboys RB Javonte Williams Put Together Historic 2025 Season

Javonte Williams was a free agency signing in 2025 that largely went unnoticed. Even after the Dallas Cowboys signed the former Denver Broncos running back, they were expected to bring in more talent.

While they used a fifth-round pick on Jaydon Blue, Williams went into the season as the unquestioned starter. It didn’t take long to prove that was the right call, with Williams being a workhorse starting in Week 1.

Williams scored two touchdowns in his debut, and followed that up with 97 yards and a touchdown in Week 2. He finished the year with 1,201 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. He added another 137 yards and two touchdowns on 35 receptions, but it was his running that turned heads.

Javonte Williams joined elite company in 2025

Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams runs with the ball in the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The veteran back proved to be a spark plug for the offense as he set career highs in every major rushing category. That’s why NFL.com’s Tom Blair says Williams is the most underappreciated player on the team. He also said Williams accomplished something that only DeMarco Murray and Ezekiel Elliott have pulled off for Dallas this century.

“That wasn't just a veteran free agent on a one-year prove-it contract putting up a nice line for a team that scuffled to a 7-9-1 finish. That wasn't even just the best season of his career -- it was one of the best running back seasons by any Cowboy this century,” Blair wrote.

“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.”

Those are two of the biggest names Dallas has had at running back in a long time and they didn’t frequently accomplish what Williams did. As we see, Elliott did so twice, including his rookie season. Murray, on the other hand, managed it just once.

Javonte Williams’ contract continues to look like a steal

Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams runs with the ball for a touchdown against the New York Giants. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Murray had an unbelievable 2014 campaign, which saw him run for a league-leading 1,845 yards and 13 touchdowns. He parlayed that into a huge free agency deal, signing with the Philadelphia Eagles on a five-year, $42 million contract.

More than a decade later, Williams signed a three-year extension worth $24 million, which is a slightly lower average per year than what Murray received. It’s also a significantly lower annual average than the six-year, $90 million extension Elliott signed in 2019.

There’s no guarantee Williams will put up similar numbers in 2026, although I recently discussed how he’s a dark horse to lead the league in rushing. Even so, it’s clear that he doesn’t get as much praise as he deserves for such a campaign.

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