One of the main storylines for the Los Angeles Rams this offseason is whether or not the team will extend running back Kyren Williams. It’s very clear that head coach Sean McVay values Williams in the offense. At the same time, his lack of explosiveness and ball security issues raise question marks when it comes to an extension. That doesn’t mention that the Rams haven’t extended a running back since being burned by the Todd Gurley contract and the team has selected Blake Corum and Jarquez Hunter in each of the last two drafts.

Much has been written about whether or not the Rams should give Kyren Williams an extension. The short version and what I wrote back in February is this,

“Williams is fine and he does a lot of things well. However, it’s fair to question whether or not he’s the all-around running back worth giving an extension to. Williams is a singles hitter and only gets what’s available. He was the only running back last season to get exactly what was expected. His rushing yards over expected per attempt was exactly zero…How much value does Williams add to the current offense and is that worth $12-$14-million?”

This isn’t another thought-piece on whether or not the Rams should extend Kyren Williams. At this point, that feels like I’d be beating a dead horse. We can talk about whether or not the Rams should extend Williams as much as we’d like. At the end of the day, the Rams front office and coaching staff is going to do what it feels is best for the team. It’s very clear that the Rams like Williams and what he adds to the offense. Drafting Hunter signals that they at least understand that they need a player that can complement him better and take some of the load off of his shoulders.

As the offseason progresses, it seems like extending Williams is something that the team is prioritizing. As Sean McVay noted on Tuesday during media availability,

“There’s been a lot of back and forth. There’s been some good proposals on both sides. We are getting closer to hopefully finding a conclusion to this. Now, until that’s actually agreed upon from both sides, we’re really in the same boat. But behind the scenes, there’s been really good dialogue from Kyren and his group overall.”

It’s very possible that by the time training camp comes along that the Rams and Williams agree to terms on a contract extension. Whether or not the Rams opt to extend Williams is beyond discussion at this point. However, there is something to be said about why the Rams are making this a priority and seem set on getting a deal done with one year left on Kyren Williams’ rookie contract

Unlike some other positions, there is no harm in waiting until next offseason to get a Williams extension done. The Rams have tended to wait on contract extensions in recent years and Williams should be handled the same. It’s what the Rams did with Alaric Jackson, Kevin Dotson, and even Matthew Stafford to an extent. General manager Les Snead and VP of Football and Business Administration, Tony Pastoors, who handles contracts, tend to let players find their value from other teams before coming to terms with a player. It’s why the Rams allowed Stafford to enter trade talks with other teams.

It’s worth wondering why Williams would be handled any differently. The Dallas Cowboys were criticized for waiting when it came to the contracts of Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. Instead of paying Prescott $55 million per year, that number ended up at $60 million once Jared Goff, Tua Tagovailoa, and Trevor Lawrence all signed extensions last offseason. In 2023, the highest-paid wide receiver received $28 million per year. However, Amon-Ra St. Brown, AJ Brown, and Justin Jefferson pushed that needle. Lamb and the Cowboys ended up at $34 million per year.

While the Cowboys ended up paying more by waiting, it’s also worth noting the high-value positions of quarterback and wide receiver in the case of Prescott and Lamb. In the case of Williams, there isn’t a player that’s going to inflate the running back market and teams remain hesitant on paying non-upper echelon players at the position. The biggest free agent running back heading into 2026 will be James Cook. Cook is currently demanding a new contract and the Buffalo Bills have been moot on whether or not they will give him one.

At the very least, it doesn’t seem to be a priority and they aren’t in a rush to get something done. As our friends over at Buffalo Rumblings wrote,

James Cook’s talent is undeniable, but his low usage and lack of impact in the clutch make a $15 million contract untenable. Compared to the best in the business, like Barkley, Henry, McCaffrey, and Jacobs, he lacks elite three-down impact…Standing firm against Cook’s demands is the prudent path to sustaining Buffalo’s Super Bowl window. He has one more year in his rookie deal to show he can become the team’s new Thurman Thomas. Right now, he isn’t, and shouldn’t be paid as such.

If the Bills aren’t in a rush to get something done with Cook, it seems odd that the Rams are so eager to get a deal done with Williams. Taking a look at their stat lines:

Cook: 1,009 Yds, 4.9 YPC, 16 TDs, 32 Rec., 4.8% explosive rate, 14 pass-block snaps
Williams: 1,299 Yds, 4.1 YPC, 14 TDs, 34 Rec., 1.9% explosive rate, 41.0 pass-block grade

Cook had more yards per carry, touchdowns, and was more explosive. While Williams plays more on passing down, both have limitations as a pass protector and receiver. Additionally, when ranking the two running back rooms, PFF ranked the Bills running backs eighth and the Rams 23rd. Said PFF’s Dalton Wasserman,

“Kyren Williams racked up nearly 1,500 rushing yards last season, including the playoffs, but issues with fumbles and pass protection dragged his PFF overall grade down to a modest 69.1. The Rams may be wise to find someone who can reliably spell Williams, who has taken the third-most carries in the NFL over the past two seasons.”

Williams and Cook may be looking at similar contracts, but neither player is going to inflate the running back market and get the same value as Saquon Barkley or Derrick Henry. At most, both players are looking at the $12 million to $14 million per year. Ideally for the Rams, they are able to get Williams in the $8 million to $10 million range.

Still, there’s no rush to get this deal done. The 2024 free agency period was a strong one for running backs with Josh Jacobs, D’Andre Swift, Aaron Jones, Henry, and Barkley all being available. Next season, Kenneth Walker, Brian Robinson, Travis Etienne, and Breece Hall along with Cook and Williams will lead the class.

The Rams are simply better off waiting until next offseason so that they can gauge Williams’ value to other teams. If Williams ends up being too expensive, there are options available in which they can either pivot to a player like Hall or stick with the players that they have drafted in Corum and Hunter.

Waiting on a Williams extension gives them flexibility in terms of the contract itself as well as the options. It gives the Rams leverage in the case that Williams wants to stay. A Williams extension may be inevitable. However, the Rams would be better off treating the Williams deal like they have other extensions in recent years and allowing the running back to find his value.