Rams quietly close the book on high draft pick after Kyren Williams payday

The Los Angeles Rams knew that they needed to agree to some sort of new contract with running back Kyren Williams after he established himself as Sean McVay's best running back since Todd Gurley, and Les Snead finally managed to get this saga over with by making sure the former Notre Dame star was taken care of.

Williams signed a three-year, $33 million extension with the Rams, keeping him locked up for the foreseeable future while only making him the seventh-highest-paid player at his position. For both player and team alike, this deal makes a ton of sense.

While this deal is great news for the Rams and their fans, not everyone on the roster may be thrilled about this. Running back Blake Corum may not be very excited about his professional prospects after this decision.

Corum was already slated to go into the season as a seldom-used running back in an offense that is more than willing to give Williams as many touches as possible. This extension may have officially closed the door on any possibility of him eventually taking ownership of a starting role with this team.

Rams' Kyren Williams contract extension is bad news for RB Blake Corum

While Corum ran for over 2,700 yards and 45 touchdowns in his final two years at Michigan (including a 27-touchdown season in his final campaign), teams were worried about drafting a 5-8, 200-pound player who didn't have breakaway speed or the tremendous power needed to run through pro tacklers.

Corum was slated to start the season as the backup behind Williams, which already gave him a limited pathway to touches. Corum had just 57 carries for 206 yards and zero touchdowns last season. The most carries he had in a game were eight, and many of those came when the result had effectively been decided.

The Rams used a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to select Auburn rookie RB prospect Jarquez Hunter, and much of the buzz from training camp has centered around Hunter's ability to assimilate into the offense. If Hunter is equal to or above Corum in the eyes of Sean McVay, he might be doomed in Los Angeles.

Corum could carve out a career as Williams' top backup, but with Hunter rising and Williams locked up long-term, it seems hard to envision a non-injured world in which Corum sees the field often enough to make any sort of impact.

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