Dallas Cowboys: Terrance Williams Shows Uncommon Loyalty

While many players are trying to cash in as much as possible, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrance Williams showed loyalty, taking less to stay home.

The team. The team. The team. That’s the message pressed home daily by Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett. To outsiders, it probably feels like a cheesy mantra, but one guy who believes in it would obviously be wide receiver Terrance Williams. A starter since his rookie season, the former third-round pick out of Baylor was a free agent for just a few days before surprisingly re-signing with the only NFL team he has ever known.

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His contract was almost as surprising as him staying put. Most would have assumed that T-Will was going to leave town and that he would receive a big deal like similar players have recently. In 2016 the Atlanta Falcons gave Mohamed Sanu a five-year deal worth $32 million, $14 million of which was guaranteed. The same offseason, his former teammate in Cincinnati, Marvin Jones, received a five-year $40 million contract from the Detroit Lions—$20 million of that was guaranteed.

The contracts were still being dished out this offseason as Buffalo Bills free agent Robert Woods got five-years and $39 million with $15 million guaranteed, and Kenny Stills re-upped with the Miami Dolphins for four-years and $32 million, $20 million guaranteed.

Once Woods signed that deal, it seemed all but done that Williams was gone. His numbers as a second receiver are comparable to Woods, Stills, Jones and Sanu, albeit Williams does have a penchant for making clutch catches—like this beauty shared by Dallas News’ Jon Machota following the deal being signed.

Then, unexpectedly, it was announced that the Cowboys and Williams came to terms on a four-year deal worth $17 million—$9.5 million guaranteed. Williams himself summed up why he did the deal with a one-word tweet:

Loyalty is right. Williams was born in Dallas, played high school ball in Dallas and went to Baylor in Waco, TX. He now guarantees that he will be in his home state until he is into his 30s, which is something not many players can say.

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As good as it is for the player to stay home where he wanted to, the signing is an even better thing for Dallas. Teams taking such a discount to stay where they are feels like what happens with championship teams like the New England Patriots. Perhaps Williams’ good graces will rub off on some other players in Big D as they try to build something special around quarterback Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott. At the very least, fans should root hard for the player who showed uncommon loyalty in a league where there is a limited shelf life to earn their money.