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Why Javonte Williams was one of the biggest surprises in fantasy this year (0:52)
Daniel Dopp recaps Javonte Williams' season and explains why he is one the best surprises in fantasy this season. (0:52)
Todd ArcherFeb 21, 2026, 04:51 PM ET
- Todd Archer is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Dallas Cowboys. Archer has covered the NFL since 1997 and Dallas since 2003. He joined ESPN in 2010.
FRISCO, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys kept a key player to their offense Saturday, agreeing to a three-year deal with running back Javonte Williams that guarantees him $16 million, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The total deal is worth $24 million and includes a $6 million signing bonus, according to sources.
When the Cowboys head to Indianapolis for the NFL scouting combine next week, they can turn their attention to Pro Bowl wide receiver George Pickens. The expectation is the Cowboys will put the franchise tag on Pickens at a cost of roughly $28 million before the March 3 deadline and then hope to work out a multiyear deal. Pickens set career highs last year in catches (93), yards (1,429) and touchdowns (nine).
Williams set career highs in rushing yards, carries and touchdowns last year, his first with the Cowboys after signing a one-year deal worth $3 million, following a four-year run with the Denver Broncos, who selected him in the second round of the 2021 draft.
Williams finished with 1,201 yards, the ninth most in the NFL even while missing the last game because of a stinger issue that bothered him for most of the season's final month. Williams, who turns 26 in April, also had 252 carries and 11 rushing touchdowns after topping out at 903 yards (2021), 217 carries (2023) and four TDs (2021, '24) with the Broncos. He missed most of the 2022 season in Denver after tearing the ACL and LCL in his right knee.
His 1,201 yards were the most by a Cowboys running back since Ezekiel Elliott in 2019 (1,357). He also caught 35 passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns.
