The Dallas Cowboys made a bold gamble on Javonte Williams in 2025. His tape was solid, and he was a seamless fit for Brian Schottenheimer's offense, but a history of injuries would've scared most teams away.
The Cowboys signed him to a one-year deal, presumably because of that, and he wasn't even a lock to finish the season as the starter. Ultimately, Miles Sanders got hurt, and Jaydon Blue didn't live up to the hype.
Williams did more than enough to earn his keep in Dallas. The Cowboys drew praise for retaining him on a three-year, $24 million deal early in the offseason, and expectations should be higher ahead of year two. Notably, that's also why Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox thinks he'll have a tough time replicating that type of production:
"Williams, meanwhile, is coming off the first 1,000-yard rushing season of his career, and the Cowboys don't have much proven depth behind him," Knox wrote.
The Cowboys need Javonte Williams to stay healthy to avoid being a 'one-hit wonder'
Schottenheimer's team will bring back the same offensive core for next season. The blocking schemes will be the same. The terminology and concepts will remain, and Williams will be paramount to their success, or lack thereof.
The five-year man out of North Carolina has been healthy and has played in at least 16 games in three consecutive seasons. Still, he suffered a season-ending knee injury in his second year in the league, and concerns of a similar ailment may linger.
The Cowboys need their workhorse running back to stay on the field and tote the ball early and often. They don't have many -- if any -- solid options behind him, with Malik Davis, Phil Mafah, and the aforementioned Blue as the team's only alternatives.
Of course, just because he missed most of one season three years ago doesn't mean he'll inevitably get hurt again, but this is a contact and physical sport, and running backs have to endure more of a beating than the average player. At the very least, the lack of a reliable backup should be a concern.
Williams gave this team a true workhorse for the first time since they lost Ezekiel Elliott. Taking the ball out of Dak Prescott's hands has usually led to his best seasons, and Schotty's vision for the offense got off to a promising start in year two.
That could all crumble like a glass house if Williams can't keep up with what he did last season. And even though George Pickens' future with the team is less of a dark cloud compared to before, the running game still might be even more crucial in 2026 and beyond.
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