Let Jerry ... cook? Those words have only ever been uttered with a sarcastic tone, but the proof is in the pudding: Jerry Jones has been on an undeniable heater since the 2025 regular season ended.
After wasting no time firing Matt Eberflus and empowering Brian Schottenheimer to hire Christian Parker as defensive coordinator, Jones hasn’t made a single misstep. That momentum continued over the weekend, when the Dallas Cowboys agreed to a three-year extension with running back Javonte Williams.
Bringing Williams back was a no-brainer after he ranked sixth among RBs with 896 yards after contact, sixth with 67 first-down runs, and seventh with 54 missed tackles forced.
Jones avoided an overpay, built a balanced deal, and never let him sniff free agency. That’s how smart front offices operate.
Per reports, it's a three-year deal worth $24 million with a $6 million signing bonus, and just $16 million of it is guaranteed. With an $8 million average annual value (AAV), Williams is now the game's 16th-highest-paid running back.
The Dallas Cowboys got RB Javonte Williams at a bargain
That’s tremendous value for Dallas. There aren’t 15 running backs more valuable than Williams, if that many.
Here's a look at some RBs who are making more per year than Williams and how they fared in 2025. Joe Mixon ($9.87 million) and James Conner ($9.5 million) both make more than Williams, but they played zero and three games, respectively, so they were not included.
Player | AAV | Rushing yards in '25 |
|---|---|---|
Aaron Jones | $10 million | 548 |
David Montgomery | $9.12 million | 716 |
Rhamondre Stevenson | $9 million | 603 |
Ashton Jeanty | $8.97 million | 975 |
Chuba Hubbard | $8.3 million | 511 |
D'Andre Swift | $8 million | 1,087 |
Even the NFL’s highest-paid running back, Saquon Barkley, finished with fewer rushing yards than Williams’ 1,201.
An $8 million annual average may sound steep at first glance, but relative to the market, it’s a bargain. Ashton Jeanty is the only back on that list Cowboys fans might take over Williams, and that’s purely because he’s three years younger and more explosive.
Williams is quietly entering his sixth season, but he'll only turn 26 in April and has just 858 career carries under his belt. He's got plenty of good football ahead of him.
While $8 million per year is the most the Cowboys have given to an RB since Tony Pollard played on the franchise tag in 2024, Pollard counted $10.09 million against the cap. Williams’ cap hit will be more palatable, and the structure likely includes an easy out after 2027 with just over half the deal guaranteed.
That flexibility gives Jones room to keep pressing the right buttons. And lately, the 83-year-old hasn’t missed.