Rams Kyren Williams Has Played Contract Situation Perfectly

When the days leading up to Rams training camp were winding down, the name on everyone's mind was Kyren Williams. Williams, the team's star running back, is entering the fourth and final year of his rookie deal and with an uncertain future, Williams had every right to stage a holdout as others have done and are currently doing.

Williams did not. In fact, he shut down rumors of a holdout before the Rams ever took the field. He said he'll be a full go and has stuck to his word, working hard as the team completed its initial four-day practice block for camp.

Sean McVay couldn't have been more happy with the news and while Williams went to work, his agent and the Rams have continued negotiations.

“It’s huge. He's handled himself like the guy that you guys know," stated McVay. "I mean, that's just who he is. And we're going to sit down with [Agent] Drew [Rosenhaus] tomorrow. Looking forward to that. You say these things all the time and the ultimate goal in mind is for him to get under contract and finding that sweet spot that fits for that puzzle that we're trying to piece together as a team, and what represents his value for the production and what he means to us, those can sometimes be challenging things, but I think there's been a good, healthy collaborative approach."

"We have gotten closer, haven't gotten the deal over the finish line, obviously, and he has done everything that he can control that makes you want to say, ‘Let's try in good faith to figure this out for this guy because he's representing all the things that are right about the Rams.’ And the way he plays, his spirit, his mindset, what he is as a teammate, how he responds to adversity, the physical and mental toughness, so it means a lot. I love this guy and love what he stands for and what he is about, most importantly, as a man.”

May 28, 2025; Woodland Hills, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams (23) during organized team activities at Rams Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Williams made the right decision. Holdouts work...except for running backs. Ezekiel Elliott crashed the market with both Le'Veon Bell and Melvin Gordon proving running back holdouts do not work. The best way to get paid at the position is to hit free agency.

In the NFL, out of the top ten highest-paid running backs, eight of them received their deals after joining a new team from the one that drafted them. The other two, Jonathan Taylor and Alvin Kamara, staged their signings based on the leverage they had, leverage that Williams doesn't possess.

In one swift move, Williams has made this massive story a non-story. Williams also bought Rosenhaus and the Rams time to work things out behind closed doors with no one looking in, Williams remains at the forefront of the Rams' mind as a player, he maintains the trust and respect of his teammates, and he showed the entire NFL that he's not a problem, setting himself up to get paid, regardless if the Rams pony up.

Smart, savvy moves from a man with a mind beyond his years.

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