There may not be a better story for the 2025 Cowboys right now than running back Javonte Williams. While there are still plenty of chapters left to read, his hot start to the season already has him in rare company among the team’s historical list of free agent running backs. In fact, with a few more weeks at this current pace, Williams could soon be the best of all time.
To be fair, this isn’t exactly like adding a new head to Mt. Rushmore. When free agency really took off in 1993, Emmitt Smith was
coming off a Super Bowl title and would remain firmly planted on the Cowboys’ RB throne through 2002. Then, of course, there were the Ezekiel Elliott years from 2016 to 2022. And while Zeke was technically a free agent in 2024, we’d all like to pretend that season never happened.
Outside of Emmitt and Zeke have been lots of short runs by mostly homegrown talents like Tony Pollard, DeMarco Murray, Julius Jones, Marion Barber III, and Felix Jones. Some veteran free agents have found their way here at times, but mainly as backups, such as Alfred Morris and Chris Warren. And while he wasn’t drafted by Dallas, technically, Rico Dowdle started his career here as an undrafted free agent. So it’s a little different than what we’re talking about today.
No, the legacy of true veteran free agents at RB for Dallas hasn’t been much. Here are the few who at least set some sort of bar for Javonte Williams to reach.
Darren McFadden, 2015
After DeMarco Murray cashed in his monster 2014 performance with a big free agent deal from Philly, Dallas tried to replace him on the cheap with third-year prospect Joseph Randle and the veteran McFadden, who was signed for relative peanuts. Randle got the first six starts but was eventually demoted after an injury and rising personal issues.
McFadden only had 129 yards in the first five games as a reserve, but exploded for 152 in Week 6 when he replaced Randle. He would finish the year with 1,089 yards, plus 328 receiving, in only 10 starts. Age and injuries would quickly end McFadden’s career after 2015, when his job was handed to Elliott, but that one big year in Dallas may have been the best single-season performance of any free agent RB we’ve seen.
Preston Pearson, 1975-1980
The only notable free agent RB to have a multi-year run, Pearson was signed by Dallas after being released by the Steelers. Pearson was never a starter, first playing behind Robert Newhouse and eventually Tony Dorsett, but hung around as a backup and versatile weapon who could catch out of the backfield and even line up at receiver. He helped Dallas win its second Super Bowl in the 1977 season.
Eddie George, 2004
George finished his borderline Hall of Fame career in Dallas, getting signed after the draft to back up rookie Julius Jones. An early-season injury to Jones forced George to start eight games, but it was tough sledding as the Cowboys were still rebuilding in Bill Parcells’ second season. George only had 432 yards and four touchdowns on the year despite starting half of it, which was as much about his diminished skills at 31 years old as the weak team around him.
So yeah, it’s not like Javonte Williams has to do much climbing to get on top of this mountain. He probably only needs another 6-7 games to beat McFadden’s single-season numbers, and there’s not much of a standard for longevity either. Dallas’ long run with Emmitt Smith made RB a signature position here more than for some other teams, and the Cowboys have consistently used draft picks to keep it a focal point up until recently.
The good news for the 2025 Cowboys is that Williams is making the most of this rare opportunity for a free-agent running back to make an impact. What we just saw against the Jets was very encouraging, as Williams had a career day despite missing 80% of his offensive line. As those guys return, plus CeeDee Lamb at WR, this comeback story could only get that much greater.
