Rams Give Extension to Pro Bowl Running Back
Sean McVay gets to keep a key player in his offense for the foreseeable future. The Los Angeles Rams and Kyren Williams agreed to a much-anticipated three-year, $33 million extension with $23 million in guaranteed money. This extension comes after Williams played a major role for the Rams, playing in 888 offensive snaps last year. The soon-to-be 25-year-old didn’t mind taking a pay cut to stay in McVay’s offense. The running back from St. Louis, Missouri, is now the seventh-highest-paid running back on a per-year basis.
The team drafted Williams out of Notre Dame in 2022, serving in a committee backfield consisting of Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson, and Malcolm Brown. Williams carried the ball only 35 times in his rookie season, getting stuck in the shuffle of a packed running back room. Without seeing a single start and being a fifth-round pick, there was no guarantee for Williams in the long-term plans of the Rams. However, that all changed after he established himself as the number-one tailback in 2023.
After Week One in 2023, Akers toted the ball 22 times for 29 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Williams made the most of his opportunities, rushing 15 times for 52 yards and two touchdowns. Surprisingly, the Rams shipped Akers to the Vikings after the first game. This meant Akers got a fresh start with former offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell, and Williams got his time to shine in LA. That season was an exceptional one for Williams, earning a trip to the Pro Bowl after averaging 95.3 rushing yards per game, leading the league in that category.
Since proving himself as a reliable back, the Rams haven’t let him off the field much. Last season, Williams accounted for 43% of total touches for the Rams, the highest rate in the NFL. Somehow, he wasn’t voted to the Pro Bowl in 2024 despite posting career-highs in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, first downs gained, receptions, touches, yards from scrimmage, and total touchdowns. All things considered, Williams has proved himself as a premier running back in this league, and he’s worth every penny of the extension.
