The Dallas Cowboys have already made their intentions extremely clear regarding a couple of different key players on offense, including wide receiver George Pickens and running back Javonte Williams.
Even though NFL free agency and contract negotiations can be very unpredictable (as Cowboys fans know all too well), some decisions are just no-brainers. One that would qualify for that particular distinction is the Cowboys finding a way to re-sign running back Javonte Williams, a former second-round pick of the Denver Broncos turned free agent steal for Dallas in 2025.
The Cowboys held their end-of-season press conference, and they made their desire to bring Javonte Williams back as crystal clear as possible.
Cowboys make it clear they want Javonte Williams back for 2026 and beyond
Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones said re-signing RB Javonte Williams is at the top of their list of offseason priorities: “We want to bring him back and sign him to a multiple-year deal.”
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) January 7, 2026
While the decision to bring someone like George Pickens back is going to be a very layered discussion that involves a lot more money, the decision to bring back Javonte Williams should be considered a unanimously correct move.
Williams is coming off of the best year of his NFL career with the Cowboys, which had to have taken just about everybody by surprise. Williams was two years removed from his major knee injury in 2022 with the Denver Broncos, and had struggled for two straight years in Sean Payton's offense to really get anything going.
He wasn't truly "benched" by the Broncos, but his carries diminished considerably as the year went along in 2024. That's part of the reason why the Cowboys were able to get him for just $3 million on a one-year contract, a deal that looks like the biggest steal of free agency considering the numbers Williams put up.
READ MORE: Jerry Jones just dropped two words that could reshape Cowboys' defensive future
He ran for 1,201 yards and 11 touchdowns while adding a pair of touchdowns as a receiver. His 4.8 yards per carry were a career-best, and it came on the most total carries (252) of his career. Sometimes, guys just need a change of scenery to be that catalyst, and that was clearly true for Williams.
Not only are the Cowboys talking about the fact that they want Williams back, but they are actively trying to bring him back.
Stephen Jones says that the Cowboys have already reached out to Williams' representation about getting him back in the fold. A multi-year deal not only makes sense given the fact that Williams is still just 25 years old, but a multi-year deal will also allow Dallas to give Williams a fair deal while keeping that salary cap hit low in the first couple of years.
It wouldn't be shocking to see Williams get something north of $20 million on a 3-year deal, but time will tell. The important thing is that the Cowboys are already getting to work at keeping their elite offense intact for 2026 and beyond.