The Los Angeles Rams have desperately needed Kyren Williams to be at his best this season. So far, he has been.
Williams has been the most valuable player for the Rams so far this season, putting together one of his most productive campaigns while the offense is in a state of flux and upheaval. His efficiency on the ground and increased usage through the air has been one of the lone bright spots in L.A.’s 2-4 start to the 2026 season.
Rams running game
Through six weeks, Williams is eighth in the NFL in yards from scrimmage (seventh among running backs). Puka Nacua has missed time, Davante Adams might miss the rest of the season and tight ends room hasn’t exploded in production like the offseason hype projected it would.
But then there’s Williams, who has been as consistent as nearly any running back in the NFL. He’s eighth among running backs in yards per carry this season at 4.9 yards a pop, leading the way for a rushing attack that is still one of the best in the league despite the myriad issues the franchise is currently facing. In fact, NFL analyst Nate Tice took out any doubt about the quality of the rushing attack when recapping Sunday’s Rams loss to the Cardinals on a recent podcast.
Referring to L.A.’s lack of play-action passing, Tice said, “That’s a big part of their offense, especially if you have the best run game in the NFL. Again, no caveats there, the best run game in the NFL.”
Sean McVay knows how to design a running game, but it wouldn’t be the engine of this offense like it currently is if not for Williams’s high-level play.
Kyren Williams as a pass catcher
But for as good as he’s been on the ground, Williams has taken another step forward in the passing attack as well. Per Pro-Football-Reference’s parameters, among running backs, Williams is 13th in success rate as a pass catcher. However, he has a higher target share than any of the 12 players ahead of him in that stat, including some of the most lauded pass-catching backs in the NFL like Christian McCaffrey and Jahmyr Gibbs.
As previously outlined here on TST, Williams is a key part of some staple passing concepts in McVay’s offense, which has helped him become an even more dangerous red zone weapon.
That increase in passing-game effectiveness would be great on its own. But when you consider how much less the Rams and quarterback Matthew Stafford are pushing the ball down the field this season, as highlighted in the aforementioned and linked episode of “Football 301,” his impact underneath has been downright vital.
It doesn’t hurt that he packs a punch in pass protection, too.
We’re a third of the way through this season and things are looking dire for Los Angeles with just two wins so far. But not all news is bad; in fact, Williams and his growth have been a legitimate positive and strength.
On a team that entered the year with high expectations, multiple superstars and last year’s actual MVP, it’s Kyren Williams who has been the most impactful performer for the Rams this season.
