Kyren Williams

Rams, RB Kyren Williams Agree To Extension

August 13th, 2025 at 4:46pm CST by Adam La Rose

AUGUST 13: Williams secured $15.15MM at signing, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. This includes $2.75MM of Williams’ 2026 base salary ($5.5MM). On Day 3 of the 2026 league year, the rest of Williams’ 2026 base shifts to a full guarantee.

Two days later next March, Williams will see part of his 2027 base salary lock in. The Rams RB will see $4.61MM of his $8.95MM base salary shift from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the ’26 league year, Florio adds. The remaining 2027 salary will become guaranteed on Day 5 of the ’27 league year. This year-out guarantee may have helped James Cook, who secured a similar term from the Bills today. Williams’ $10.45MM 2028 base is nonguaranteed.

AUGUST 5: The long-awaited extension between Kyren Williams and the Rams has been worked out. A deal was struck Tuesday morning, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

This will be a three-year, $33MM pact, Schefter adds. $23MM in guarantees are present in the agreement. Williams was entering the final year of his rookie contract, but today’s news means he will be on the books through the 2028 campaign.

Signs have consistently pointed to a pact being worked out in this case, and an update from last week indicated an agreement was close. Today’s news thus comes as no surprise, nor do the terms of the pact. Williams was not a candidate to reset the running back market, although he has managed to land a rare eight-figure AAV at the position. The 24-year-old’s $11MM mark checks in at seventh amongst running backs, evenly splitting Aaron Jones and Josh Jacobs in terms of annual average value.

Williams participated in spring practices as well as training camp while negotiations took place. The former fifth-rounder said in May he anticipated remaining with Los Angeles beyond the 2025 season regardless of when a new deal was struck. With plenty of time to spare, his long-term future has now been assured. Williams will be expected to reprise his role as lead running back for the coming campaign but also years to come.

As a rookie, the Notre Dame product saw sparse usage on offense. The past two years have been much different, though, with Williams receiving 260 touches in 2023 and then 350 last season. During his first year atop the depth chart, his 95.3 rushing yards per game led the NFL and resulted in a Pro Bowl nod. Williams managed to increase his overall production – including 16 total touchdowns – in 2024, although his efficiency took a step back. Managing to remain effective while handling a heavy workload moving forward will be key in determining the return on Los Angeles’ investment.

The Rams will continue to rely on receiver Puka Nacua in the passing game this season, and while Cooper Kupp is no longer in the fold Davante Adams is present on two-year free agent pact. Those two will be the focal points of the team’s offense through the air in 2025, quarterback Matthew Stafford‘s fifth season with Los Angeles. Williams will nevertheless maintain a critical role for the unit as well.

Former UDFA Ronnie Rivers, 2024 third-round selection Blake Corum and fourth-round rookie Jarquez Hunter represent the Rams’ other options in the backfield. That trio will provide the team with young and inexpensive backups at the RB spot while Williams plays out this new accord. As Los Angeles eyes a repeat of last year’s run to the divisional round of the postseason – at least – a major piece of offseason business has been taken care of.

Rams, RB Kyren Williams Nearing Extension?

July 27th, 2025 at 12:06pm CST by Rory Parks

It sounds as if extension talks between the Rams and running back Kyren Williams are continuing to trend in the right direction. As was the case with spring work, Williams timely reported to training camp, and he emphatically stated he would be a full practice participant while negotiations are ongoing (via Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic).

Head coach Sean McVay told reporters (including Rodrigue) that Williams’ agent, Drew Rosenhaus, spent time at the team’s training camp site on Thursday to discuss Williams’ contract with Los Angeles brass. No agreement is in place yet, but McVay conceded that the mere fact Rosenhaus made the trip is an indication that discussions are going well.

McVay expressed similar sentiments back in May, so it is unclear how much work remains to be done before the two sides strike an accord. In any event, the Rams understandably will not reset the running back market for Williams, and it is difficult to predict exactly where his new contract will rank among the deals his RB peers have secured.

The top of the market is set by game-changing talents like Saquon Barkley ($20.6MM average annual value), Christian McCaffrey ($19MM), and Derrick Henry ($15MM). While the soon-to-be 25-year-old Williams has the age advantage on those players, he does not have nearly the same record of production.

Williams, a fifth-round pick in 2022, saw just 35 totes in his rookie season. He exploded onto the scene in 2023 with a league-leading average of 95.3 rushing yards per game to go along with a stellar 5.0 yards-per-carry rate. He added 206 receiving yards for good measure and piled up 15 total touchdowns.

Increased usage in 2024 (316 carries, as opposed to 228 in 2023) was accompanied by a drop in efficiency. Williams’ 4.1 YPC mark in 2024, while solid, was not stellar, and he also fumbled five times. He nonetheless remained a touchdown and first down machine, recording 16 total scores and moving the chains a total of 91 times.

As such, it would not be surprising to see Williams hit the $10MM/year threshold, an AAV that seven other running backs presently enjoy. Barring an unforeseen development, an extension should be expected sooner rather than later.

Rams Not Prepared To Offer Market-Topping Deal To RB Kyren Williams

July 9th, 2025 at 3:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

Kyren Williams and the Rams have discussed an extension this offseason, and plenty of time remains for a deal to be struck before Week 1. If/when a second contract is in hand for the fourth-year running back, though, it should not be expected to move him to the top of the market.

Los Angeles’ regime led by general manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay authorized a big-ticket RB deal in the case of Todd Gurley in 2018. That 57.5MM pact proved to be a mistake given the injury issues and decline in play which resulted in Gurley’s release two years later and eventual retirement after a brief NFL career. A similar investment in Williams is unlikely.

As Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic writes (subscription required), the Rams will not reset the market on a running back contract. Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry are attached to deals averaging $15MM or more entering 2025. Reaching that price point should not be necessary to keep Williams in place beyond the coming season – something the 24-year-old anticipates – but a notable raise will nevertheless be in store.

Both sides have expressed optimism that an agreement will be reached at some point this offseason. McVay said in May that progress had been made since extension talks began, and Wyatt Miller of the team’s website notes Williams was a full participant during spring practices. That is an encouraging sign team and player will manage to avoid a 2026 free agent departure. It would come as little surprise if a deal were to be struck during or just before training camp, which begins later this month.

Williams earned a Pro Bowl nod and a spot on the second All-Pro team in 2023 after leading the NFL with over 95 rushing yards per game on average. The former fifth-rounder saw a notable uptick in usage last season (from 228 to 316 carries), and he managed a career-best 1,299 rushing yards and 16 total touchdowns. A drop in efficiency – along with fumbles – will no doubt hurt Williams’ value on a new deal, but he could still find himself joining the seven running backs currently averaging eight figures annually on their respective deals. It will be interesting to see if ongoing negotiations produce an agreement in time for training camp.

Sean McVay: Rams Making Progress On Kyren Williams Extension

May 29th, 2025 at 12:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

Regardless of what happens with with respect to a potential Jalen Ramsey reunion, Kyren Williams looms as a key offseason priority for the Rams. Progress is being made regarding an extension agreement in the latter’s case.

When speaking to the media at the start of OTAs, head coach Sean McVay said “healthy” discussions have taken place with Williams’ agent, Drew Rosenhaus, about a long-term deal. Talks on that front have been held this spring, with Williams – who is in attendance for the voluntary practices – set to play out the final year of his rookie contract in 2025.

The 24-year-old is uncertain to land an extension before the coming season begins, but in any case he is confident he will remain with the Rams in 2026 and beyond. Williams has operated as the team’s lead running back for each of the past two seasons, totaling 544 carries during that time. He earned a Pro Bowl invite along with a second-team All-Pro nod in 2023 as a result of his league-leading 95.3 rushing yards per game average that year.

Williams saw his efficiency drop in 2024, but an increased workload allowed him to set a new career high in several categories. RB1 duties should again be in store for the Notre Dame product moving forward, and that will of course hold true if a long-term agreement can in fact be reached. McVay added “positive progress” has been made toward a deal coming together. Should that continue to be the case, Williams could have an extension in hand well before Week 1.

The Rams have made mid-round draft investments in the backfield over the past two years (Blake Corum in 2024, Jarquez Hunter in 2025). A depth role can be expected for one or both of them this season, but much of Los Angeles’ offensive success will again be determined by the play of Williams as the team’s top option. His age and production could help lead to an agreement near the top of the running back market (which currently includes seven players attached to eight figures in annual earnings) if the Rams are willing to meet his asking price. Indications are that will take place somewhat soon.

RB Kyren Williams Expects To Remain With Rams Beyond 2025

May 20th, 2025 at 10:06am CST by Adam La Rose

One year remains on Kyren Williams‘ rookie contract, but an extension could be worked out to ensure he does not reach the market next spring. Talks have already taken place between the Rams and their lead running back’s camp, and he appears to be confident a long-term pact will be in hand even if the season starts without one being worked out.

Williams played sparingly as a rookie, but over the past two seasons he has been a focal point on offense for the Rams. The 24-year-old received 228 carries in 2023, and that number rose to 316 last year. A heavy workload can be expected again in 2025 regardless of if a second contract is worked out over the coming months. Williams would prefer an extension, of course, but in any case he is confident he will remain in Los Angeles beyond the coming campaign.

“I know with time it’s going to happen,” Williams said of a new contract (via Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times). “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… Whether it happens now or I play out the season, I know it’s going to happen eventually.”

Williams led the NFL in rushing yards per game in 2023 with 95.3. That figure dropped considerably last year, though, as his efficiency fell from 5.0 yards per carry to 4.1. The former fifth-round pick nevertheless set a new career high in a number of categories, including scrimmage yards (1,481) and touchdowns (16). He will be in store for a raise compared to his rookie deal – which calls for a $5.35MM salary in 2025 – once his next contract is in place. As of April, a gap existed between the 2023 Pro Bowler’s asking price and the Rams’ valuation of him, so progress will need to be made at the negotiating table.

General manager Les Snead aims to “engineer a long-term partnership” in the Notre Dame product’s case, but it remains to be seen if the Rams will be willing to make a commitment near the top of the running back market. Seven players at the position are attached to an AAV of at least $10MM, and Williams’ age will no doubt help his case to join that group. On the other hand, Los Angeles invested a third-round pick in 2024 in Blake Corum and added another running back (Jarquez Hunter) during the fourth round of this year’s draft.

Those two will remain under team control well beyond the 2025 season. It remains to be seen if that will hold true for Williams, but his latest remarks point to a free agent departure still being unlikely.

Rams, Kyren Williams Discussing Extension

April 1st, 2025 at 5:45pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Rams will begin preliminary talks on an extension for running back Kyren Williams with his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, at annual league meetings this week, per The Athletic’s Jordan Rodrigue.

General manager Les Snead said that the team wants to “engineer a long-term partnership” with Williams, who is entering the last year of his rookie deal. The 2022 fifth-rounder only carried the ball 35 times as a rookie before taking over a starting role in 2023.

Since then, Williams has been the focal point of the Rams’ rushing attack. In 2023, he led the NFL with 95.3 yards per game, earning a selection to the Pro Bowl. His efficiency went down in 2024 with significant drops in success rate and yards per carry, but he still finished with the seventh-most rushing yards (1,299) and the fifth-most rushing touchdowns (14) in the league. Across the last two seasons overall, Williams has rushed for 2,443 yards and 14 touchdowns, which both rank among the top three running backs in the NFL.

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.

“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,” he said (via Rodrigue).

As a result, the Rams will likely keep a close eye on Williams’ health and efficiency in 2025 as they continue negotiations. His Pro Bowl selection upgraded his 2025 salary to $5.35MM via the Proven Performance Escalator, per OverTheCap. Combined with his $78k signing bonus proration, his cap hit will be $5.42MM, though an extension could reduce that number by $3.4MM.

Rams Could Consider Matthew Stafford Trade; Latest On Cooper Kupp, Kyren Williams

January 26th, 2025 at 12:12pm CST by Rory Parks

The Rams naturally want to get clarity on quarterback Matthew Stafford’s status sooner rather than later. Although it is not yet a sure thing, it sounds as if the soon-to-be 37-year-old passer is prepared to continue his playing career. His contract, however, continues to be a talking point.

While Stafford is under club control through 2026, last summer’s restructure – which frontloaded most of his guarantees into 2024 – essentially turned his deal into a year-to-year accord. With a $23MM base salary and only $4MM in guaranteed money due in 2025, Stafford’s current pact is a team-friendly one, and therefore one which could be attractive to other clubs in need of a short-term QB fix (even if such a club would need to make an upward adjustment to the contract).

Indeed, both Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic (subscription required) and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk believe that a Stafford trade is on the table. Given that the Rams just advanced to the second round of the playoffs, have a bevy of talented young players, and do not have an immediate Stafford successor in place, such a move would be surprising. That is especially true since Stafford is unlikely to fetch the high-end draft capital that the Rams dealt to the Lions to acquire him several years ago, and since Los Angeles’ first pick in the upcoming draft is the No. 26 overall selection.

Still, GM Les Snead did not shoot down the notion and merely suggested that he would not actively seek a trade.

“[I]t’ll take someone calling or us reaching out if we want to [make a trade],” Snead said (via Florio). “Those are the things that’ll be determined down the road here.”

Of course, hammering out a new or reworked contract with Stafford is also a real possibility. The No. 1 overall pick of the 2009 draft may not be at the height of his powers, but he is still a capable player, and a team like the Rams that has designs on another postseason run in 2025 will be hard-pressed to find an obvious plug-and-play upgrade. Indeed, head coach Sean McVay said last year that he is happy to have Stafford as his QB1 for as long as Stafford wants to play.

Wide receiver Cooper Kupp, another key piece of the club’s recent Super Bowl-winning outfit, is facing an even more uncertain LA future. The 2021 Triple Crown winner has struggled to stay healthy since that historic campaign, playing in 33 of a possible 51 regular season games over the past three years. His production has slipped accordingly, and he finished the 2024 season with 67 catches for 710 yards and six scores in 12 games. He still saw 100 targets but posted a 67% catch percentage, well below the marks he achieved from 2018-2022.

Kupp, 31, has clearly been surpassed by Puka Nacua in the Rams’ WR hierarchy, and his $29.78MM cap number in 2025 could be untenable for Los Angeles. Only $5MM of his $12.5MM base salary is guaranteed, and he has a roster bonus of $7.5MM that will not trigger until March 19. The Rams, who shopped the Eastern Washington product in advance of the 2024 trade deadline, will certainly want to execute a trade or release before that date.

For his part, Kupp confirmed that he will continue his playing career, though he realizes he may have played his last game for the Rams.

“Who knows what is going to happen?” he said. “A lot of stuff is out of my control. We’ll see (what) it’s going to be. There was obviously stuff that was going on early in the season and we’ll see. I don’t have any clarity on what that’s gonna look like. Obviously would love to be in L.A., but I don’t know what that is gonna look like.”

Running back Kyren Williams, on the other hand, looks like he will remain in Southern California for the foreseeable future. Now that he has accrued three years of service time, he is eligible for an extension, and Snead suggested he is amenable to having those conversations with Williams’ camp.

“He’s a Ram,” Snead said of Williams (via Rodrigue, who indicated that is language team brass uses for “heartbeat” players).

“I think [an extension is] something that’s going to be on the plate,” Snead added. “[Williams] would be someone that after three years you could begin discussing, let’s call it, renegotiating, starting anew. Because I do think Kyren is someone who is a Ram and has a very impactful role for us” (via Stu Jackson of the team’s official website).

Williams has seized Los Angeles’ RB1 job over the past two years, earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2023 and tallying 316 carries for 1,299 yards (4.1 YPC) and 16 combined TDs in 2024.

Rams Likely To Move Jonah Jackson To C

August 30th, 2024 at 3:01pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Rams head coach Sean McVay is “leaning towards” installing offensive lineman Jonah Jackson as the team’s starting center, according to The Athletic’s Jordan Rodrigue.

Jackson signed with the Rams on a three-year, $51MM deal back in March after spending the first four years of his career with the Lions. A shoulder injury in training camp sidelined him for the preseason, but he has been taking reps at center as he ramps up to return.

Jackson has spent almost his entire career at guard, with just 24 career snaps at center — in Week 18 of the 2021 season — per Pro Football Focus. But the Rams are returning both of their starting guards in recently extended Kevin Dotson and 2023 second-round pick Steve Avila, so Jackson’s move to center allows McVay to get his five best offensive linemen on the field.

Avila frequently played center at TCU but worked as a guard — as since-departed Coleman Shelton manned the Rams’ center post last season — as a rookie. Avila’s mobility at guard is crucial to Los Angeles’ offensive scheme, according to Rodrigue. That said, Avila spent the offseason back at center, as Shelton signed with the Bears, only to be moved back to guard just before the regular season. That will make for an interesting transition for the former Big 12 standout.

McVay also announced that third-year running back Kyren Williams will be the team’s punt returner, per ESPN’s Sarah Barshop. Williams seized the Rams’ RB1 job last season with 1,350 yards from scrimmage and 15 touchdowns in just 12 games and is set to reprise his role this season. His new special teams gig could indicate that his offensive touches will go down with former Michigan standout Blake Corum also on the roster.

It is worth noting that McVay also handed the punt returning job to Cooper Kupp in 2021. He went on to lead the NFL in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns on his way to Offensive Player of the Year honors. Kupp’s punt returning duties did not impact his workload; instead, he simply fair caught 20 out his 21 punt returns in the regular season, per PFF. McVay may be employing a similar strategy this year: get the ball in the safest hands possible to avoid any costly muffed punts.

The rest of the Rams’ 53-man roster has taken shape over the last week, with Cobie Durant as the primary backup to outside cornerbacks Tre’Davious White and Darious Williams, writes Rodrigue. Third-year defensive back Quentin Lake is expected to start at the ‘star’ position in the Rams’ sub packages where he will operate as a safety, nickelback, or dimeback depending on the play call.

Rams RB Kyren Williams To Miss OTAs

May 21st, 2024 at 8:39pm CST by Ely Allen

Rams running back Kyren Williams broke out in a big way during his sophomore campaign. His impressive season came to an end in the playoffs, when he exited his team’s loss to the Lions with a broken bone in his hand, but now, a “foot issue” is preventing him from participating in Los Angeles’ offseason program, per Sarah Barshop of ESPN.

Williams is no stranger to injury. The Notre Dame product finished third in the NFL in rushing yards last year, behind only Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry, despite missing five games (four on injured reserve with an ankle injury, another resting in the regular season finale) in 2023. Williams led the NFL in rushing yards per game with a mark of 95.3. The surprise offensive asset figures to be an integral part of the Rams’ offense in 2024, as long as his health allows it.

Williams’ stint on IR in 2023 wasn’t his first bout with injury, either. In OTAs before his rookie season, Williams broke his foot. After working his way back from that injury in time to make his rookie debut in Week 1, Williams suffered an ankle injury in his first NFL game that caused him to miss the next seven games of the 2022 season.

Head coach Sean McVay didn’t seem too worried about the 23-year-old’s status. Though he’ll miss the team’s offseason activities, Williams is expected back in time for training camp. “It’s nothing to worry about,” McVay told the media. “He’ll be ready to go for training camp, but there’s a little issue when he was training…But nothing to be concerned about.”

Williams’ absence wasn’t the only notable attendance feature in OTAs. Quarterback Matthew Stafford was in attendance and reportedly taking part in organized team activities, despite the veteran’s current efforts to attain more guaranteed money on his current contract. The 36-year-old passer is one year through a four-year, $160MM deal, but is done earning anymore guarantees ($10MM of his 2025 base salary was guaranteed in March).

There is a benefit on the team’s part to come to a restructured deal, as well. Stafford is set to represent a cap hit of $49.5MM this season, $50.5MM in 2025, and $49.5MM in 2026. A restructured contract could serve dual purposes of both getting Stafford more guaranteed money and also lowering his cap liability in the future.

Injury Updates: Raiders, Gilmore, Williams

January 20th, 2024 at 2:29pm CST by Ely Allen

Maxx Crosby, who was already a two-time Pro Bowler and a second-team All-Pro selection within his first four years as a pass rusher for the Raiders, surprised nobody by putting up another career year in 2023. What’s even more impressive about this year’s Pro Bowl season and second-team All-Pro selection is that Crosby accomplished both feats while dealing with a knee injury for most of the season, per Grant Gordon of NFL.com.

This week, Crosby posted a picture of himself following a successful procedure on his left knee. The procedure was reportedly meant clean up an issue with his bursa that Crosby had been dealing with since Week 2 of the 2023 season. That’s not all. The 26-year-old also said recently that he will require thumb surgery. All of this information makes career-highs in tackles (90), sacks (14.5), and tackles for a loss (a league-leading 23) this season all the more impressive.

Elsewhere in Vegas, running back Josh Jacobs saw his own injury information made public earlier this month. After leading the league in rushing yards in 2022, Jacobs’ disappointing 2023 campaign came to an unceremonious end four weeks early, as the 25-year-old missed the final four games of the season with injury.

According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Jacobs had “been dealing with two deep bone contusions that…restricted his range of motion, preventing him from being cleared by the team medical staff.” Pelissero relays that the issues did not result in any structural damage and that Jacobs should be fully healthy heading into free agency this offseason.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the NFL, starting with an update out of northeast Texas:

Before Super Wild Card weekend, Cowboys veteran cornerback Stephon Gilmore found out that he had suffered a torn labrum in his right shoulder. An injury like that is certainly grounds for season-ending surgery that late in the season. Gilmore, though, made the conscious decision to delay surgery, toughing it out for what he hoped would be the second Super Bowl run of his career, per Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News. Gilmore wore a shoulder harness and played 100 percent of the defensive snaps for Dallas in their loss to the Packers. He would’ve done that three more times, if given the opportunity. With the Cowboys’ season now officially ended, Gilmore said that he expected surgery soon, giving him plenty of time to be ready to play in 2024, wherever that may be for the pending free agent.
Lastly, the Rams saw rookie sensation Kyren Williams suffer a hand injury in last weekend’s loss to the Lions. The running back out of Notre Dame finished the regular season behind only Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry in rushing yards but was forced to exit his team’s playoff game with a broken bone in his hand, according to Rams senior staff writer Stu Jackson. Williams underwent successful surgery on Tuesday of this week and should have plenty of time to recover for his sophomore campaign.

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