Javonte Williams walks into Thursday Night Football with a rare shot to deliver himself the ultimate early Christmas surprise.QQ
Javonte Williams is about to cash in.
The Dallas Cowboys play the Detroit Lions in this week’s Thursday Night Football, and it should be an intense one. Both teams have their backs against the wall as they try to keep their playoff hopes alive, so you know they’ll come out fired up.
And for some, 20 days away from Christmas, there will be a lot on the line. That is the case for the Cowboys’ starting running back Javonte Williams, for whom a strong day could yield a $250,000 payday. Talk about the perfect early Christmas gift.
The Cowboys may have a future starting CB in this rookie…The Cowboys may have a future starting CB in this rookie…
Williams is two touchdowns away from reaching one of two contract incentives—which requires him to get 12 total touchdowns. At ten touchdowns, Williams has already set a career-high but the next two will be his most lucrative ones.
The best part for Williams is the Cowboys rushing offense has been one of the most explosive ones in the NFL, so his score could come any time. He also has two receiving touchdowns, earning Dak Prescott’s trust in the passing game. He scored as a pass-catcher in the Cowboys’ win over the Kansas City Chiefs last week.
Williams, who has been one of the biggest surprises of the Cowboys season, is having such a strong year that reaching this incentive is likely even if it’s not on Thursday. And there’s another one that looks like a total lock, as well.
Williams is also 167 yards away from another $250,000
The other incentive on Williams’ contract is all about yards. He needs 1,250 yards from scrimmage to earn another $250,000 and he’s already at 1,083 with five games left to be played. He would need to average 33.4 yards per game to get the missing 167 yards, and he’s averaging over 90 this season.
Williams’ numbers will get him a whole lot of additional money but they don’t even measure the entirety of his impact. The Cowboys running back has become the workhorse of Brian Schottenheimer’s offense and Prescott’s personal bodyguard. He’s been one of the best pass-blocking running backs in the NFL, and it’s showed up in high-leverage scenarios such as the 21-point comeback versus the Eagles.
The front office is known for taking too many low-risk, high-reward swings in free agency that amount to nothing. But they hit big on this one. And hopefully, they’ll be glad to pay the half-million dollars when Williams inevitably reaches his incentives.
