Running backs endure more wear and tear than any other position in football. It’s why teams often rotate their backs to keep them fresh and healthy, which isn’t always necessary for wide receivers, cornerbacks or other skill players.
That hasn’t applied to the Rams this year.
Buy Rams TicketsThrough three weeks, Kyren Williams has played a staggering number of snaps. According to FantasyPros, he’s played 184 snaps in three games, which is 18 more than any other running back in the NFL. His average snap share of 85% is the highest of all running backs across the league, including Christian McCaffrey, Derrick Henry and Tony Pollard.
The last two weeks have featured particularly heavy workloads for Williams. Since Cam Akers was inactive and then traded, Williams played 95% of the snaps in Week 2 and 100% in Week 3.
Out of a possible 135 snaps the last two weeks, Williams has played 131.
With 184 total snaps played in three games, Williams is on pace to play about 1,043 snaps this season. That would be the most by a running back since McCaffrey played 1,039 in 2019, which was an average of 93% per game. McCaffrey is the only running back since at least 2016 to play more than 1,000 snaps, and only one player since 2020 has played more than 810 in a season: Najee Harris in 2021 when he played 980 snaps.
Saquon Barkley led all running backs with 856 snaps played last year (he missed Week 18) and was one of just three to play at least 800.
Essentially, teams aren’t using running backs at the rate that the Rams are utilizing Williams. Granted, he only had 10 carries against the Bengals, but he’s still taking shots in pass protection and when targeted as a receiver.
Last week, offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur even suggested Williams’ usage was unsustainable and that it’d likely change, yet the Rams trotted him out there for all 55 snaps on Monday night.
“Yeah, that’d probably break a record I would assume at the running back position,” LaFleur said of Williams’ high snap share. “I know back in the day they maybe just sent one guy out there for the most part, unless they need a spell, but it’ll work itself out. Obviously, he was out there quite a bit. Kind of got a little skewed there at the end just being in that fourth quarter once it was basically tied up or close to tied up all game and the next thing you know, it was a 10-point game at the snap of a finger and we ended up getting like 30 plays or something really fast in the fourth quarter, so that kind of added up. But I think it’ll work itself out.”
Sean McVay clearly doesn’t trust any of his other running backs, including Ronnie Rivers and Royce Freeman, and Zach Evans hasn’t even done enough as a rookie to warrant being active in any of the first three games. As much as he might like Williams, something might have to change because playing every snap as the only running back to take the field is not sustainable, especially for a guy who’s only 5-foot-9 and 194 pounds, and someone who dealt with two injuries as a rookie in 2022.
It might be time for the Rams to bring in an outside running back who can spell Williams and give him some plays off throughout the game.
