According to Jordan Rodrigue of The Athletic, the Rams will start first discussions with his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, regarding an extension for running back Kyren Williams during this week’s annual league meetings.
The team hopes to “engineer a long-term partnership” with Williams, who is about to reach the last year of his rookie contract, according to general manager Les Snead. Before assuming a starter position in 2023, the 2022 fifth-round pick only carried the ball 35 times during his rookie season.
Williams has been the center of the Rams’ rushing assault ever since.
He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2023 after leading the NFL in yards per game with 95.3. Even though his success rate and yards per carry significantly decreased in 2024, he still ended with the seventh-highest running yards (1,299) and the fifth-highest rushing touchdowns (14) in the league. Williams has carried for 2,443 yards and 14 touchdowns over the previous two seasons, placing him among the NFL’s top three running backs.
Williams will be looking to capitalize off of that production, as well as an increase in the running back market over the last year. From a negotiating standpoint, he may look at his league ranks and aim for a top-three APY at the position. That would push Williams’ initial demands over $14MM per year, a number that Los Angeles would likely be hesitant to match this offseason.
The Rams’ current valuation for Williams’ extension is different than his own asking price, per Rodrigue. He has only one full season under his belt after landing on injured reserve with ankle sprains in each of his first two years in the league. The former Notre Dame standout is a solid receiver with 66 catches in the last two years, but he doesn’t profile as a pass-catching weapon out of the backfield like some of the league’s highest-paid running backs.
Snead indicated that Williams could enter the 2025 season without a new deal, but that doesn’t rule out the possibility of an extension in the future.
Therefore, while they continue to negotiate, the Rams will probably closely monitor Williams’ health and effectiveness in 2025. According to OverTheCap, his Pro Bowl selection increased his 2025 salary to $5.35MM under the Proven Performance Escalator. His budget charge, including his prorated $78k signing bonus, will be $5.42MM; however, an extension may lower that amount by $3.4MM.
