FRISCO, Texas — Javonte Williams ran for 1,201 yards on 252 carries with 11 touchdowns last season, all career highs. Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer has not settled how the carries behind him get divided.
“Javonte’s our bell cow. The other guys are certainly going to play, but Javonte’s our bell cow,” Schottenheimer said. “Javonte’s one of those guys that the stronger he gets is based off how many carries he gets. And what we think we learned with Javonte is more about how we handle him during the week, in terms of his workload during the week, not so much on game day. But in terms of rotations and things like that, we haven’t finalized that stuff. We’re getting ready to. Once I get rid of you guys, I’m going to get started on some stuff. We’ve got some decisions to make based on special teams as well as we build the 48.”
Williams finished ninth in the NFL in rushing yards, 10th in carries, and eighth in rushing touchdowns. He averaged 4.8 yards a carry across 16 games. His career average through five seasons is 4.2.
The Denver Broncos took Williams 35th overall in 2021 out of North Carolina, and he made the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie Team that year. He spent four seasons in Denver before signing with Dallas in 2025. He has 3,595 rushing yards and 22 rushing touchdowns in 70 career games, along with 193 catches for 1,103 yards and 7 touchdowns.
Brian Schottenheimer On What Javonte Williams Does Without The Ball
Dallas had the fewest three-and-outs of any team in the NFL last season. Staying in third-and-manageable is what Schottenheimer said the whole operation is built around, and he credited the people protecting Dak Prescott.
“We don’t talk enough about what Javonte does without the ball in his hands,” Schottenheimer explained. “The guy’s a terrific runner, scored a ton of touchdowns last year, but this guy as a pass protector is unique.”
Williams caught 21 passes in his first season in Dallas after averaging 43 a year in Denver.
The Cowboys ranked ninth in rushing offense last season at 125.6 yards per game and averaged 4.59 yards per carry as a team. Dallas finished in the top 10 in both rushing and passing offense for the first time since 2021.
The Dallas Cowboys Running Back Room Behind Javonte Williams
Malik Davis and fullback Hunter Luepke are behind Williams on the roster. Dallas released Jaydon Blue at the cutdown to 53 on Aug. 30.
Teams may activate 48 players on game day if at least eight of them are offensive linemen, and 47 if fewer. Practice squad players can be elevated to the gameday roster three times each in a season.
The line in front of Williams changes this week. Schottenheimer said Monday that Tyler Smith has surgery on his left thumb Tuesday and will likely go on injured reserve with a designation to return, a four-to-six-week absence. T.J. Bass steps in at left guard. Tyler Guyton is at left tackle, and Terence Steele and Broderick Jones are competing at right tackle.
Dallas practiced Monday and is off Tuesday. Klayton Adams is in his second season as offensive coordinator, and Conor Riley is in his second season coaching the offensive line.
Dallas finished 7-9-1 last season. That made two straight years out of the playoffs. Kickoff at the New York Giants is 7:20 p.m. CT Sunday on NBC at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
