We're old enough to remember the sheer outrage from Dallas Cowboys fans when the team signed Javonte Williams to a one-year, $3 million deal on the first day of free agency. The majority of fans wanted Rico Dowdle back after a career year, and Williams was coming off two inefficient seasons in a row following major knee surgery in 2022.
Through five games, Williams already looks like one of the best free-agent signings in franchise history. Just months after condemning the signing, Cowboys fans are now imploring the front office to sign the 25-year-old running back to an extension. He's been that good.
Williams seemingly would be open to that, assuming the money is right, based on his latest comments following Sunday's 37-22 win over the Jets.
Cowboys running back Javonte Williams loves being in Dallas
I love it here,” Williams said. “I like playing with my teammates. We got playmakers all over the field on both sides of the ball. I feel like we’re really just getting started. We got a lot of people that are probably going to come back next week from injuries, so we just got to get it rolling."
As if Cowboys fans needed another reason to love Williams.
Williams ranks 28th at the position in salary, and yet he's all over the NFL's rushing leaderboard, ranking third with 447 rushing yards, second with five touchdowns, third with 5.7 yards per carry, and first with 25 first downs.
The former second-round pick is also dominating in the advanced metrics. He is second among qualified RBs with 326 yards after contact, first with 133 rushing yards over expected, and third with a 62.0 percent rushing success rate among RBs who've logged at least 50 carries.
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If those numbers aren't worthy of a mid-season extension, then we might have to go back to the drawing board.
The run-blocking on Sunday wasn't great, and yet Williams ran for 135 yards and a touchdown on a whopping 8.4 yards per carry. While the Jets are one of the worst tackling teams in football, Williams made lemonade without any ingredients on several handoffs.
That is where Williams has proved his value. His contact balance, ability to fall forward, and just relentless effort are a perfect match with offensive coordinator Klayton Adams, who schemes up a rushing offense with the best offensive minds in the league.
The Cowboys have been burned by paying running backs in the past, but Williams won't break the bank, and he said himself he loves being in Dallas. Enough said.