Javonte Williams didn’t have to rush into anything. He could’ve waited a few weeks, tested the market when free agency opened, and negotiated with multiple teams. Instead, the Dallas Cowboys running back chose stability. He chose Dallas. And once that decision was made, he had one demand for owner and general manager Jerry Jones: Keep George Pickens, too. Williams didn’t hide it.

“Yeah when Mr. Jones called me, I was like … Keep GP (George Pickens), too,” Williams said, recalling the moment Jerry phoned him to congratulate him on his new contract.

Williams signed a three-year, $24 million deal to remain in Dallas. Now locked in for the 2026 season, he wants Pickens secured as well. And from a football standpoint, it’s not difficult to see why.

Even amid defensive struggles in 2025, the Cowboys’ offense carried weight. Dak Prescott threw for 4,552 yards and 30 touchdowns, earning another Pro Bowl nod. And a major reason for that production was Pickens.

In his first year with Dallas, Pickens posted career highs: 93 receptions, 1,429 yards, and nine touchdowns. The performance earned him Pro Bowl and All-Pro recognition. Naturally, that kind of output made retaining him a priority entering 2026.

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Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones acknowledged as much.

“We’re leaning towards the franchise tag,” Jones said about Pickens. “We’ll finalize that here over the coming week or 10 days, and then we’ll go from there. These just take time. We want Pickens here. We think the world of him. We love him. And I think he wants to be here, so all of that is a plus.”

Since then, Dallas has officially placed the franchise tag on Pickens. That guarantees him $28 million for the 2026 season. What it doesn’t guarantee is the long-term extension Williams openly lobbied for. However, Jerry Jones has made it clear that conversations are ongoing.

“I’m talking to George all the time by virtue of my excitement for him,” he said at the beginning of this month. “He’s better than, as far as what he contributed to our team, showing the potential that he could contribute. I’m looking forward to getting things worked out so George can be a Cowboy a long time.”

Now the clock matters. After the franchise tag, Dallas has until July 15 to finalize a long-term deal. If no agreement is reached by then, Pickens plays 2026 on the fully guaranteed $28 million tag.

But the trajectory suggests this won’t drag on indefinitely. Given the current wide receiver market, Pickens could command roughly $30 million per year on a new deal. Whether that number holds firm or whether Jerry Jones negotiates it downward remains to be seen. For now, one extension is done, and Javonte Williams is secured.

Javonte Williams addressed why he wanted to stay in Dallas

Javonte Williams entered last offseason as an unrestricted free agent, coming off one of the least productive years of his career with the Denver Broncos in 2025. His market wasn’t exactly booming. He ultimately signed a modest one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Cowboys, essentially a prove-it contract.

Fast forward a year, and he was staring at free agency again. This time, though, things looked very different. Instead of testing the market, Williams locked in a three-year, $24 million deal to stay in Dallas. And when asked why he didn’t explore other offers, his reasoning was simple.

“Yeah I could’ve,” Williams said of negotiating and listening to other offers. “But it’s about just being here and being around everybody. I feel the love here. This where I wanted to be.”

In his first season with the Cowboys, Williams delivered the most productive campaign of his five-year NFL career. He posted career highs with 1,201 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns in 2025. It was a breakout year, and not necessarily one he saw coming when he signed that short-term deal.

“At the beginning of the season, I didn’t even know how it was going to go,” he said. “But I feel like it worked out for both sides. Everything was good. I’m just blessed.”

Now he enters 2026 with long-term security. The Cowboys may have missed the postseason last year, but Williams clearly believes the foundation is there to change that. The only remaining question hovering over the offense is whether he’ll be lining up alongside George Pickens when the new season kicks off.