How CeeDee Lamb's advice -- and a few needles -- sparked Javonte Williams' comeback with Cowboys

FRISCO, Texas -- Running back Javonte Williams appeared to be derailed by a gruesome knee injury back in 2022, but in his first season with the Dallas Cowboys, he has emerged as one of the NFL's best backs in 2025. Here's how it happened thanks to perfect timing and the advice of Dallas Cowboys All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. 

The Denver Broncos selected Williams in the second round (35th overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft out of North Carolina, and he delivered a promising rookie year with 903 yards rushing on 203 carries (4.4 yards per carry) and four rushing touchdowns despite starting in just one game. 

The Broncos made him their lead back in 2022, but he tore his ACL and LCL four games into the season, which robbed him of his burst. Williams went on to average 4.4 yards per touch in his four years in Denver (2021-2024), ranking third fewest among players with at least 750 touches and ahead of only Ezekiel Elliott's (4.1 yards per touch) and Najee Harris (4.3) in that span.

How Williams landed in Dallas

When Williams, entering his age-25 season, hit free agency last offseason, Denver coach Sean Payton told him he would stay in touch throughout the process. But that didn't happen.

"I feel like it was kind of just mutual," Williams said Wednesday. "They wanted to go a different route. We [Williams and the Broncos] hadn't talked about what was going to go on. He [Payton] just told me he was going to stay in contact with me, stuff like that."

Then the Dallas Cowboys swooped in. Williams quickly became the team's top priority as his one-year, $3 million contract was their first transaction on the open market in March.

"Once free agency started, the phone started ringing. Other teams started calling," Williams said. "I felt like the Cowboys were the best place for me. I just felt the love, and I'm glad I'm here ... I just like it. I feel like out of everybody, they [Dallas] showed the most interest. I just like how they were talking scheme and everything like that. I just wanted to be here."

Coach Brian Schottenheimer told Williams he wanted to have a "physical" team that ran the ball, which appealed to the running back, and the marriage has worked out thus far. Williams is the NFL's second-leading rusher through seven weeks with 592 yards. He also ranks second in the league in rush yards after contact (451) and rushing first downs (30).

"Just the suddenness, the way he would jump cut and the way he would run through contact," Schottenheimer said when asked about what stuck out to him about Williams.

"I like big backs, I really do. That's the type of league it is right now, with how everything is played and how physical it is. You do see a guy who creates explosives. Why does he do that? Because he doesn't hesitate. It jumped off the film. It wasn't something they felt like doing. But we knew it was something we wanted to add to our team." 

CeeDee Lamb's recovery tip

So how has Williams been able to explode and become a player with a 5.3 yards per carry average, the third-best in the NFL this season among running backs? He attributed his bounce back to both a healthier mindset and a healthier body. Some advice from an All-Pro teammate helped, too. 

Star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb told Williams how much acupuncture helped him maintain his burst and edge on the field, so Williams gave it a go. The results have been a dream come true for Dallas. 

"I've got a routine: I get massages, acupuncture, hot tub, cold tub -- things like that," Williams said. "Soft tissue. Just trying to stay on the little things before they become something major down the road. The acupuncture is new. CeeDee actually introduced me to that. This is my first time ever doing that. I feel like it helps with my flexibility and being able to open up and run. Yeah, that's been huge."

Lamb pulled Williams aside during OTAs in the spring to suggest acupuncture to the team's new running back. Williams is now enjoying the best burst of his career with the 5.3 yards per carry.

"He was like, 'Bro, do you mess with needles?' I was like, 'Yeah.' He was like 'I got this needle dude. He can come by and get you right,'" Williams said. "The first time I did that joint, he poked me and I shouted, 'This might not be for me.' But I stuck through it, and it started working out. That joint is expensive, though."

Despite the price, it's now a crucial part of William's weekly routine as it's something he does "every Friday" now. 

"You'll be sore for the first day after, but by the time Sunday comes, you feel good, bro," Williams said. "... It's definitely worth it."

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Lamb, who is a team captain for the first time this season, simply chalked up the advice as his way of leadership.

"That's being a leader, bro." Lamb said. "That's what happens, you bring the guys up with you. That's what I'm doing. [Williams] has been doing a heck of a job this season."

The All-Pro wide receiver, who is now in his sixth NFL season at the age of 26, has been doing acupuncture since he entered the league as a 21-year-old rookie in 2020. Lamb's use of acupuncture varies; he uses it "over twice a week" as part of his recovery routine throughout the season. 

"You got to stay young, man," Lamb said. "I still feel young, but some weeks are better than others."

"Acupuncture is not for everybody, I'm going to be honest. If you don't like needles, then you find a different way. ... I hate needles despite all the tattoos I got. ... I've been doing it since I got in the league. ... S---, I wanted to be in the league for a long time. It didn't take much convincing for me." 

No hard feelings against Denver

Williams will be going up against his former team on Sunday, and he's doing so with a franchise that fully believes in him. Schottenheimer thinks Williams can unlock even higher levels of production in the second half of the year. 

"I hope there's even more room for improvement," Schottenheimer said. "He's really good. But I think that was the main thing for us to understand. With these injuries now, yeah, there's a process, and it's going to take eight, nine, 10 months sometimes. We bet right." 

When Williams returns to Denver, it won't be with the same "buckle up" bulletin board material his Cowboys predecessor Rico Dowdle provided ahead of his Dallas reunion as a Carolina Panther in Week 6. He chuckled when asked if Denver needed to "buckle up."

"I feel like it's just another championship opportunity," Williams said. "We treat every game the same. Great team, great defense, great offense. We've just got to go out there and execute."

"[Denver] was just a good atmosphere. I loved the team. I loved the staff, the coaches. I had a good time. It probably didn't go the way I wanted. I'm here now."