Javonte ​Williams signs $24 million NFL contract Dallas Cowboys who now eye George Pickens

Dallas Cowboys have started their offseason by bringing back their leading rusher. Running back Javonte Williams agreed to terms with the Cowboys on a three- year, $24 million contract, the team ‌announced on Saturday. 25-year-old Williams ⁠signed a one-year, $3 million deal with Dallas last offseason after spending the first four seasons of his career with the Denver Broncos.

Williams earned his deal after rushing ​for a career-best 1,201 ⁠rushing yards -- ‌ninth-best in the ​league -- and ​a career-best 11 touchdowns ⁠in 16 games. In Williams' previous two ​seasons combined, he finished with ​1,287 rushing yards and seven rushing scores in 33 games.

Cowboys finished with the No. 9 rushing offense in the league thanks to Williams ‌with 125.6 yards per game at 4.6 yards per carry. In ​70 career ​games (45 starts) ⁠Williams has 3,595 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns along with 1,103 receiving yards and ​seven receiving touchdowns. With Williams under contract, the Cowboys can now shift their focus to locking down star wide receiver George Pickens, who's an impending free agent.


Williams joined the Cowboys on a one-year contract last season after an injury-filled four years on his rookie deal with the Denver Broncos. He had his first 1,000-yard season and finished with 1,201 yards rushing, the most for a Dallas back since two-time rushing champion Ezekiel Elliott had 1,357 in 2019.

“Javonte’s at the top of our list to go out and sign,” Cowboys executive vice president of personnel Stephen Jones said last month. “We want to bring him back. We want to sign him to a multiple-year deal.”

The other big piece Dallas wants to bring back is receiver George Pickens, who had a breakout year in 2025 following an offseason trade from Pittsburgh.

The Cowboys have until March 3 to put the franchise tag on Pickens, which would give the sides until July 15 to agree on a long-term contract if Pickens were to sign the one-year offer that would be in the range of $30 million.

Dallas is trying to keep intact an offense that thrived under quarterback Dak Prescott and with Brian Schottenheimer as the first-year head coach and play-caller.

Schottenheimer prioritized the running game, and Williams made the plan pay off with a hard-nosed running style. He averaged 4.8 yards per carry and scored 11 touchdowns.