Williams enters the final year of his rookie contract with expectations of a new deal on the horizon
The Los Angeles Rams leading rusher RB Kyren Williams is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and after back-to-back seasons with over 1,000 yards, the do-it-all back is trying to negotiate a new deal in LA. While it’s hard to argue that Williams’ play from the last two seasons doesn’t warrant a raise, the Rams also have to consider other potential contracts for players like WR Puka Nacua, DT Kobie Turner, S Quentin Lake and EDGE Byron Young around the corner, and it could be just enough to make them question paying the RB position.
Currently, Williams is on schedule to make $5.34 million dollars in base salary this season, significantly less than he would make on a new deal, which according to Spotrac.com, is expected to be somewhere in the range of $10-13 million per season.
Speaking to the Los Angeles Times about his contract situation, Williams was clear that he knows he will get a new contract eventually, whether thats with the Rams or somewhere else, but still feels hopeful in a reunion with Los Angeles.
“I would love for it to get done so I can take care of my family and the loved ones that helped me get here,” Williams said “I’ve always got trust in God. Whether it happens now or I play out the season, I know it’s going to happen eventually. I know with time it’s going to happen.”
In Williams defense, his emergence as Sean McVay’s starter early in the 2023 season completely rejuvenated what was a struggling run game in 2022. In two seasons as a starter, Williams has amassed 2,582 yards on 579 carries with 26 rushing touchdowns. He also has contributed in the passing game with another 464 yards through the air, 75 receptions and five receiving touchdowns in the same time frame. It’s an impressive stat line, especially considering the value Williams has been to the team having been selected all the way down in the fifth round.
It hasn’t all been perfect though, as Williams has dealt with his fair share of injuries and has never started in all 17 games in any of his first three years. He has also coughed up the ball eight times, including a crucial turnover in the Rams divisional round loss to the Philadelphia Eagles this past post season.
Another factor not helping Williams case is LA’s strong running back room with some young, talented depth. Williams is the clear top back heading into 2025, but Los Angeles took RB Blake Corum out of Michigan last season, believing in his ability enough to select him as high as the third round. Then there’s rookie Jarquez Hunter out of Auburn who McVay was very enthusiastic about drafting in the fourth round of this year’s draft, calling him “our kind of guy” and expressing his excitement for Hunter’s potential fit within the Rams’ offense as a pass catcher.
As mentioned earlier, with so many contracts right around for star players like Nacua, Turner and Young, as well as even more further down the road for superstar pass rusher Jared Verse and Braden Fiske, paying a running back north of $10 million a season just may be too much for the team.
Still, Williams and the Rams remain optimistic that they will be able to get a contract worked out for one of the key leaders in their locker room.
“We’ll see how far that we have to go with that but he is a very important part of what we want to be moving forward,” McVay told the newspaper. “He knows how much I love him, and so we’ll see if we can get something done.”
GM Les Snead backed McVay, telling The Athletic:
“We all want this to work out,” said Snead “It’s just, ‘Can we agree upon a contract where we feel like it’s a win-win?’ And if it doesn’t happen this year, it doesn’t mean that Kyren is not going to be a part (of) next year, doesn’t mean that we don’t do something a year from now.”
Snead added, to be clear, he hopes to “engineer a long-term partnership” with LA’s Pro Bowl running back. For now, the focus is on this upcoming season and Williams’ continuing his efforts to try and prove that he is indispensable to franchise.