Kyren Williams (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams remains one of the key figures in the team’s success in the midst of his fourth season.
The 25-year-old running back signed a three-year, $33 million contract extension with the Rams just prior to the start of the season, making him one of the higher-paid backs in the NFL. From an average annual value standpoint, Williams is the eighth-highest paid back after his peers voted him as one of the top 100 players in the NFL in each of the past two years.
After posting a career-best season of 1,299 yards and 14 touchdowns, Williams has followed up that season with another strong campaign, posting 418 yards and two touchdowns on 4.4 yards per carry this season. He ranks 10th in the league in rushing yards and his five total touchdowns ranks seventh in the NFL.
Bouncing Back From Adversity
The Rams recently bounced back with a win over the Baltimore Ravens after a heartbreaking loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Williams had a costly fumble in the fourth quarter of that defeat.
“”S*** happens sometimes,” says Williams in a one-on-one interview with RG. “It’s how you respond back from those moments to make your mark and make people remember who you are. Obviously, mistakes happen and s*** happens like that. But you gotta be able to be resilient. That’s the whole thing about this team. What we’re so great at is being resilient. We don’t let the bad times make or define us. We’re going to redefine the fire and it’s going to come out and make us better.”
The fourth-year running back says no one on the Rams had to give him advice following the tough loss against the Niners. He knows that his teammates believe in him regardless.
“They didn’t have to tell me anything,” says Wiliams. “We know that we’re here for the same reasons. We’re all here to continue to get better. They know who I am as a person. I know that they’re going to continue to believe in me, because that’s the type of thing that I would do for them.”
Balling Out in Week 6
Williams ran for 50 yards and a touchdown in the win over the Ravens. He talks about how key it was for himself and the team to defeat the Ravens on the road.
“It feels good to get a win because it’s hard to come by in this league,” says Williams. “You have to be grateful for every win that you get. We were able to sustain that adversity in the game. We started slow, but we were able to come out in the second half, creating momentum. They gave us turnovers to get us on the field, and as an offense, we took advantage of those and we put points on the board. We were able to sustain them for the rest of the game. Being able to stay connected like that and continue to keep trusting one another each and every single drive and play, knowing that the best is going to come when we’re connected is how we’re going to be moving forward.”
The Rams are currently 4-2 and entering their Week 7 London matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, they’re tied for the division lead with the Niners and Seattle Seahawks. The division is obviously tougher this season, with San Francisco proving to be a better team despite a rash of injuries. Furthermore, the new-look Seahawks look improved with Sam Darnold at quarterback.
“Take it one game at a time, gotta continue to keep focused on who we play on Sunday and rest is going to fall out,” says Williams. “If we play the type of game that we’re playing, be the type of people that we are and stick with our fundamentals and techniques and continue to keep playing better with detail, we’re going to be alright. The chips will fall as they may, but I have belief in this team that we’re going to be able to do the things that we’re supposed to do each and every week. But this game on Sunday that we have, hopefully we’ll be able to take care of business.”
Williams Focused on Team Success
Williams is already one of the most well-respected backs in the league. Just two years prior, he went to his first Pro Bowl and clinched his first All-Pro selection during the 2023 season. He ran for 1,144 rushing yards with 12 rushing touchdowns on 5.0 yards per carry, the sixth-highest mark in the NFL.
When asked if he has any concrete individual statistical objectives for the 2025 season, Williams instead focuses moreso on improving combined with team objectives as his main priorities for this season.
“Just to get the most out of my team each and every single day, work hard, continue to keep trusting the guys that are around me and continue to keep playing winning ball,” says Williams. “That’s basically it. But you can’t do that if you’re not connected and you can’t do that if we’re not all on the same page.”