The Dallas Cowboys were so bad on the defensive side of the ball last season that Jerry Jones rightfully spent most of his attention on trying to get that unit back on track. While the offense is in a much better position, fans would be foolish to assume that Dak Prescott, Javonte Williams, and CeeDee Lamb are some unstoppable trio.
The Cowboys appeared to strike gold with Williams last season, as the running back room went from an island of misfit toys to a Javonte-led affair that landed him a lucrative contract extension. Both he and George Pickens thrived in 2025, but will they be able to be as unstoppable as they were now that the league has more on them in Dallas?
Bleacher Report is one of many that suggested that Dallas could be in for some very rough sledding in 2026 if Williams regresses to what he was at the end of his tenure with the Denver Broncos. With just one 1,000-yard season to his name and some poor depth behind him, Williams isn't exactly Emmitt Smith in the Cowboys' backfield.
Javonte Williams regressing is the worst-case scenario for Cowboys offense
After averaging 3.6 yards per carry and failing to crack 800 yards in either of his final two seasons in Denver, Williams was both consistent and efficient for Dallas. On 4.8 yards per carry, Williams churned out over 1,200 yards on the ground and found paydirt 13 times. Miles Sanders and Jaydon Blue became complete afterthoughts.
Even though most of the offensive line is going to be back in 2026, the volatility of the running back position could make it tough for Williams to have another 2025 campaign in him. This wouldn't be as big of an issue if the Cowboys didn't have one of the shallowest running back rooms in the NFL.
Imagine if Williams regresses or gets hurt. The Cowboys would turn to a combination of two second-year players in Blue (who reportedly got dinged for maturity issues last season) and (possibly) Phil Mafah as well as some training camp standouts like Israel Abanikanda. Will contenders like the Seahawks, Rams, and Eagles be afraid of that collection?
Prescott is one of the best quarterbacks in the league, but some of his lowlights come when he tries to put the entire team on his back and do to much. To prevent that version from coming out, the Cowboys had better hope that Williams replicates his breakout season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google